Fall of the House of Valor
by direbadgerbard
Summary: A more realistic take on the popular universe centering in a new region. How do you handle a society that has already established its culture? How do you change a world that already sees itself only the one way? There will always be victims and victors, but to whom should the spoils go to? Where will Otter, Rabbit and Fox stand; victors or victims of the system?
1. Chapter 1

I DO NOT OWN POKEMON OR ANY OF THE CHARACTERS. THE ORIGINAL STORY WAS WRITTEN AND PUBLISHED AS A BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR A FRIEND.

Chapter 1

January 1st

Within the Merifos region, life differs slightly than regions like Kanto or Kalos; schooling needs to be complete before any youth can set out on their journeys. Pokémon experiences start when they turn eighteen; after being given a starter Pokémon, a stipend for necessities and the trainer leaves home with a bus ticket anywhere to start the journey. While everywhere else in the world their trainers can catch as many Pokémon as they want but in Merifos life is simpler, only what the trainers can personally attend to and care for are caught with special licenses required for Pokémon of a more powerful nature. Seeing anyone with six Pokémon is a rare sight, it isn't to say that it goes undone just that only careful trainers have more than three Pokémon. Those that do, usually only have small breeds; little ones easiest to care for.

Otter had known for thirteen years what her team was going to be and had already applied for the large breed license, something that told her where that bus ticket was going to take her when she finally made it to the Pokémon laboratories, if of course, she could get to sleep and stop ruminating about the structures of her society. She checked on the status of her license, it should arrive at the Pokémon Center around the same time the bus dropped her at her first destination.

The trip to the lab would take fifteen minutes if she used her bike, a gift she had received on her last birthday a top of the line collapsible model that was nearly as light as a feather and every bit an extension of her own body. She already had her starter picked out; it was family tradition to use an eevee from the family litter. It was a tradition and a bloodline that had gone back to her far distant ancestors; the eevee line that Otter's family had carefully cultivated was known for producing the strongest eevees in the region and the Professor had already acquiesced out of respect to her family the allowance of bringing her eevee which was snoozing peacefully on the pillow next to Otter's head. She stroked the soft fur behind the ear and she nestled deeper into the crook of Otter's neck. The musk of the eevee smelled of cinnamon and brown sugar, not an unpleasant aroma. She curled around her little partner, eevee didn't have a poke ball yet but she had bought a dozen luxury balls given the team Otter was planning on building. And of course, she had to have the best for her little eevee. She deserved no less than that; Otter though, fell asleep thinking about the plan that would set in motion tomorrow.

The eevee woke at first light, and began pawing at Otter's nose bringing her awake quicker than any alarm clock. She showered and got dressed after setting food down for her partner, who dug in with gusto as if Otter hadn't fed her the night before. She wondered if while she was on her journey, whether or not she would run into her old friend Fox. He had started the year before and she had followed his exploits on the gym networks, moving through each gym with ease; he was on a fast track to an early entry in the League before he had vanished after a chilling upset at one of the psychic gyms. Rabbit was leaving today as well and neither of them had seen or heard from him in a good while. The television was running while she double checked the large pack she had readied the day before. Watching the latest fight being replayed while she finished preparing the newscaster spoke, Otter spoke softly to herself going over the inventory of her pack.

"In a fit of draconic rage and eerie strength a challenger by the name of Fox faced down Gym Leader Kaydin of the Pine Coast City Psychic Gym yesterday evening in what was the rematch of the decade and swept through her team. We have footage of the match but to our home viewers please be advised due in large part to the electromagnetic interference from some of the attacks, the coverage is a little static filled." The woman spoke before turning it over to sports for the report.

Gym Leaders always sent their Pokémon out first, unless the battlefield hindered it, as a courtesy to budding young trainers to see if they could devise some strategy to conquer her gym. She led with a slowbro while her challenger much to Otter's confusion sent out his gyarados and crossed his arms smugly. It was the same self-assured pose he had thrown on when anyone bigger than him when they were growing up would try and pick on him. Most of the time, the looks he gave would quell any physical action. The trainer boxes lifted away from the arena out of harm's way. Kaydin's slowbro loosed a thunder wave trying to paralyze the larger foe, possibly to set up for a combo on the next attack.

Despite its immense size, it was surprisingly swift dodging the attack and it loomed over the Slowbro, unleashing a powerful thunderbolt that left the Slowbro wavering causing the cameras to falter into static despite their shielding. Still point blank to the gym leaders Pokémon, the gyarados' neck bulged just below the jaw for a brief moment before it hit the other Pokémon with a torrential blast of water. The expulsion of water slammed the slowbro into the wall. It tried to stand but collapsed, unable to continue the fight. A beam of light hit the slowbro and withdrew it from the field. Kaydin kissed the pokéball before setting on the tray next to two other pokéballs. Gyarados returned to Fox's side of the arena, looking up at his trainer for encouragement; the look on Fox's face softened as his Pokémon stretched up to look him in the eye. Reaching out, he scratched the gyarados just behind the crest on the Pokémon's forehead and its eyes closed, pleased from the attention.

The gyarados turned back towards the gym leader with a deep growl as it waited for the next opponent. Kaydin didn't keep him waiting long, hypno was released from his pokéball and the Gym Leader pushed the offensive. With a wave of psychic energy, hypno struck gyarados in an attempt to confuse it; when that caused little damage, less so than desired, hypno spewed a poisonous cloud of gas that forced the serpentine Pokémon to draw back like an arbok. Gyarados looked up at his trainer, knowing that fanning the cloud could cause a draft that sent the poison up towards his trainer. Fox nodded at gyarados who opened his jaws above the cloud that hypno was hiding in. Light began coalescing between his fangs as charges of energy crackled like tesla coils on them. Within seconds, the attack was ready and gyarados unleashed a beam of ionized hyperactive energy that was swept from left to right with such energy, the feed from the cameras whited out.

The poison gas cloud ignited and burned away, searing the gyarados but the smaller Pokémon still hiding amongst it suffered for its underhanded tactics. When the feed came back, hypno was collapsed on the ground and burns could be seen on the tough scales of the magnificent gyarados. Fox could be seen surveying his Pokémon, getting his attention, the trainer called him over to the box and then returning him to his pokéball after giving the gyarados a scratch under the jaw. Otter applauded the good sense to withdraw the gyarados, he may not have appeared tired yet, but with two Pokémon down it made little sense to over exert the Pokémon. The cameras zoomed in on Fox whispering to the pokéballs on his tray but the audio could not be heard. He grabbed a pokéball from the far right of gyarados and waited for Kaydin.

Her star Pokémon made his debut, an imposing alakazam that glared across the field at Fox. Looked back up at Kaydin, the alakazam gave a nod to her and then gave his full attention back upon his Gym Leader's opponent. Fox grinned down at the alakazam and with an under handed lob, released a ninetales from pokéball. She summoned will o'wisps, surrounding the alakazam but a blinding flash before they could strike disoriented ninetales and they faded away. Fox watched as the alakazam reappeared to the left of ninetales and unleased a beam of psychic energy. Despite her eyes still being affected by the attack, Fox's Pokémon sensed it and leapt with a dancer's grace over the attack.

The wisps reappeared behind alakazam and struck him repeatedly, leaving him with horrid burns as they splashed against the Pokémon. Staggered but still standing, the alakazam began preparing for the next attack. With a bark, the light seemed to draw in to ninetales until she was ensconced in a twilight glow; the lights sparked and exploded leaving her the only source of light in the gym and the cameras began having troubles once more. Unleashing a powerful hex that tormented the alakazam until he fell to his knees with claws to his head, unable to pick himself up after the onslaught. A thin red beam withdrew the Pokémon and the referee called the match over. The trainer boxes lowered to the field and ninetales ran to Fox's side with elegance that was betrayed by her ebullience as she nuzzled against him and coming close to knocking him off his feet. Walking across the arena they met in the middle, shook hands and leaning forward against Kaydin's ear, Fox whispered something the microphones did not pick up. Kaydin laughed with delight as she presented him the badge.

"There we have it folks, strength and strategy in the face of adversity; despite his earlier set back with the previous loss against this gym, it seems the four months we heard nothing from this young trainer were well spent. In a later interview, when asked he had collected a full team, Fox responded with no comment and walked away." The sports anchor took a breath, the battles always got him riled up and charged, "Given his confident battling last night, I suspect we will see great things from this young man. For our viewers that are just now tuning in or wish to see the battle again, it will be broadcast again at the six and eleven o'clock hour. Back to you Rebecca."

The sports anchor faded as the camera returned to Rebecca who moved on to less interesting topics. Otter shut the television off needing nothing else from it and knowing she needed to leave now or risk being late. She kissed her mother on the cheek before running out the door. Otter grabbed her bike and pushed off. She had been training and getting herself ready for this day since years before graduation. Otter was accustomed to the weight of the pack and the balance on the bike which helped her make good time to the Professor's laboratory. She arrived as one of the rancher's daughters approached on a Pokémon of her own.

Rabbit came from another prestigious family of breeders specializing in ponyta and the one she rode down from the mountain was a rare coloring that came from a limited number of births. The azure blue, fiery like mane rippled and flowed as Rabbit discreetly returned her ponyta to a pokéball, hiding it somewhere on her person. Otter was uncertain if Rabbit had been given a similar dispensation for her ponyta and given the manner with which the pokéball was hidden, she hazarded a guess that it was not but Rabbit had a tendency to do things her own way.

Rabbit's greeting went beyond a simple hello but that came from the length of time they had known each other, "Did you see Fox's match this morning?"

"Why do you think I was almost late? I hadn't known he had gotten his license already for Pokémon of that caliber. It would be nice if he would respond to us every once in a while." Otter's glib response hid a pang of annoyance that Rabbit chose to ignore.

"To be fair though, he has always been good with the more extreme Pokémon. I remember both of you helped with that snorlax problem. Though I hope never to hear him sing again, that was awful. That was one of my favorite sketches, him singing as you played the flute and the snorlax dancing out of town behind you." Rabbit snickered.

"I miss the old days; hopefully we can catch up to him and be the three musketeers again someday." Otter smiled wistfully.

"Well, your first stop is going to take you out to Pine Coast City if you're still heading out west that is. You might see him, after a match like that he may be resting up." Rabbit stated opening the door into Professor Hemlock's laboratory.

"It should take a week by bus to get there, which will most likely get me to the coast a day or two after the hatching. The Lapras that are out there with their parents are already weaned and should be sent off on their own after the babies hatch. I should be able to catch or convince one of the younger ones to come with me, then I'll sail down the coast venturing inland long enough to catch my next few Pokémon. If I'm lucky, I could even catch what I'm looking for in Pine Coast City. What about you, where's your first Pokémon going to take you?" Otter asked as they climbed the steps to where the starters were.

"I'm going to get the hardest out of the way first, ponyta and I will ride out to The Dark Forest first. I hear there's an abundance of ghastly and haunter out there. After that, it will be south to the Pokémon laboratory in Briar Point. I hear there's a professor there that's doing some great work with trans-dimensional energies. After working with him, its west to the mountains and then maybe my first gym after I get what I need from the crags. Good Morning Professor Hemlock!" Rabbit greeted as they approached.

"Good Morning to you both, Otter may I please look over your eevee? I need to declare it healthy for the journey you're about to embark on. Rabbit, please, pick your starter while I'm looking over eevee. After that, I'll run one more check up on your starter and then you will be on your way." Professor Hemlock's smile reminded Otter of her uncle or her grandfather's smile.

Otter passed the eevee to the Professor then watched Rabbit run straight for where the squirtle would be, waiting patiently for someone to choose it. She immediately picked up its ball and released it into the lab. It was a large specimen, possibly on the high end of squirtles everywhere. He blinked at her for a moment before she opened her arms and the squirtle leapt into them.

Professor Hemlock passed the eevee back to Otter and beckoned for the squirtle. After giving him one last examination, the girls were given the credit cards, bus tickets and a pokedex app sent to their phones before being sent on their way. They walked together until they got to the bus station. Rabbit let her ponyta and squirtle out to say good bye to Otter.

"You be safe out in there in the world, Otter, if you see Fox let him know I miss him too. Good luck with your Lapras." Rabbit hugged Otter tightly.

"Be safe in The Dark Forest, only use the proper trails marked by the rangers. The three of us will meet up again. I'll pass the word on to Fox if I see him next; I know he hasn't taken down the Poison Gym in Borealis City. Let's meet there in six months." Otter suggested.

"And if I run into him first, I'll tell him, Borealis City July eighth. Now go or you'll miss your bus." Rabbit gave Otter a push.

Otter started running for the bus when she thought of something. She ran back and gave Rabbit a kiss on the cheek before turning back for the bus. Rabbit put a hand to her cheek, blushing at the brush of Otter's lips. She pulled a carefully made saddle from her pack and a pair of saddlebags. Before she left she bought a few more camping supplies and distributed them evenly. Pulling a map out, she double checked her route and then tucked it away. Picking up her squirtle, she carefully got into the saddle one handed and rode easily out of town. Rabbit looked back on Matpa Town knowing this would be the last she would see of it for a long while. She would text Otter when she got to the first campsite if she had reception.

Otter watched Matpa Town dwindle slowly behind her, leaving everything she had known for eighteen years in the dust. Odds of her coming back were slim, most people didn't return to the towns they started their journeys in until they were old enough to have children of their own. Eevee gave a noise of reassurance and Otter hugged her close. The first leg of her journey would take Otter to Narl Ood City, she should arrive shortly before four in the evening giving her an hour at the pokéshelter to adopt her next Pokémon. Otter swore to her eevee she would never abandon her, and she mewled happily in her arms. She spent the rest of the trip napping as best as she could. After the bus ride, the train for Pine Coast City left at 8:40pm and would take three to five days. She had booked a compartment large enough to accommodate if she had her whole team with her instead of two pieces of it. With a squeak and hiss of brakes, Otter was jolted awake. She ran off the bus, retrieved her bag and went immediately to the welcome counter.

"Excuse me, ma'am, could you tell me where the pokéshelter is?" Otter asked, pulling out her atlas and opening it to Narl Ood City.

"It's relatively close to here Miss, take a left when you come out from the main entrance here and then a left onto Fifth Avenue until it turns into a dirt road; take the first left and it will be another two miles down the road on the right." The attendant answered efficiently.

Otter marked the route off on her map, memorizing it before setting the atlas back in her pack. Heading out to the exit, she unhitched the bike from her pack. Otter's eevee settled herself in the pack on top of the next outfit and they took off. The ride was enough to make her sweat despite the chilly air of January nipping at her. When she arrived at the pokéshelter she had to remove her sweater as it was too hot to wear at this point but she knew as the sweat dried she would need it again. She walked up to the reception counter and rang the bell.

"Coming, give me a second." A voice called out from the depths of the office before resolving itself into a disheveled mess of a man.

"Hi, my name is Otter, I was wondering if I could adopt one of your Pokémon?" Otter tried not to giggle at the man's exasperated appearance.

"Of course, the name is Cliff, I run this place." Cliff introduced looking abashed at the desk that had a mild case of disorder to it, "What are you looking for?"

"I was looking for a growlithe or meowth, do you have any available?" Otter asked hopefully.

Cliff ran his hand through his hair lost in thought as he tried to decide the best answer to tell this young woman.

"If you're looking specifically for one or the other of those, then I cannot help you but come around back. I may have something else that may interest you." Cliff gave a sigh, if she didn't take that trouble maker, they might have to put him down. He was too aggressive and far too unfriendly to make a good family guardian.

Otter waited by the door and Cliff soon let her in, they walked through the clinic portion of the shelter. The noise from the kennels in back was a raucous cacophony of Pokémon calling for attention. Otter walked past a nidorino and a nidorina that were eying each other. A kingler glared from a small pool as she walked past. There was even an ivysaur sitting forlornly in a corner of its kennel taking in the last rays of daylight. The implications of someone's starter being in the pokéshelter made Otter shudder. Starter Pokémon spent the majority of their life with their trainers, often times being passed down from parent to child.

Cliff led them past what was clearly the general public of the shelter population and into a more secluded portion that was designed to handle stronger or more troubling cases. They walked past a nasty looking arbok and a grumpy looking electabuzz, past these there was a lone Pokémon far in the back away from everything with a bored disinterest on its muzzle. Cliff walked them up to the cage door before speaking again.

"This is Precious, he grew quicker than the family was anticipating and soon became a menace when he stopped listening to anything that was asked or ordered of him. His claws are sharp, we learned he knows hyper beam the hard way and he hates everyone; that includes even me despite the fact I feed him every day. The shelter was asked to put him down by the end of the week if no one came forward to adopt him." Cliff looked as forlorn as the ivysaur nearer to the front.

"Let me into the cage with him." Otter boldly stated

Cliff balked and ran a hand through his untidy hair, "That is not the wisest of decisions, he tolerates new people less than he tolerates the staff. Combine that with the fact we have no idea what other moves he might know…"

"I trust him; he doesn't want to hurt me. Let me boldly go where no trainer is brave enough. I relish the challenge this persian might try to be." Otter stared straight into the eyes of the persian whose languidly moving tail had gone still along with his twitching ears. Precious backed away from the door, as if understanding.

"Your funeral." Cliff warned before unlocking the door with a single key on his wide key ring.

Otter ignored the remark and knelt down a few feet from the persian. Otter pulled out a luxury ball and set it on the floor next to her. She closed her eyes and waited. The persian gave a loud, terrifying yowl and bumped his muzzle against her face. Otter refused to flinch. He sat back on his haunches and waited for Otter to open her eyes. She was face to muzzle with what Cliff said was a vicious Pokémon but Otter knew better.

Reaching for the luxury ball without taking her eyes off Precious she watched the persian turn into a bright red light before vanishing. She set the ball down in front of her as she watched it rock back and forth before going still.

"My Precious," Otter whispered quietly to him, to Cliff she smiled sweetly, "I would like to fill out the adoption paperwork please. This Pokémon is perfection."

The paperwork was filled out and the forty dollar adoption fee was paid from the stipend credit card. She rode off for the train station and food still having plenty of time before her train departed. When she arrived Otter got food for herself, let Precious out of his pokeball listening to the way he purred as she readied the meals for eevee and the persian. After their meal, eevee curled up in Otter's lap as Precious rested his heavy head against her leg and stretched contentedly out. The phone in her pocket buzzed as she looked at the message that came in.

-Camping under the stars with P and S, hope your first day has been just as enjoyable-

-found a persian at the pokéshelter in Narl Ood. Nickname of Precious and he's flawless. Look at this happy face- Otter sent a picture of the grinning persian in response.

-squeal! Your team is getting started already, good night Otter 3! Going to turn in for the night.- Rabbit responded.

-Goodnight Rabbit, I will be on board the train when you wake up. Have fun with sunrise- Otter put her phone back in her pocket as the train pulled into the station.

She showed the conductor the ticket she had purchased and was nearly aboard when the conductor asked her to put her Pokémon away until the train began moving again. Precious growled at the man but a light touch on the top of his head from his trainer quieted him and he acquiesced. Eevee was more reluctant but eventually retreated into her pokeball until Otter let them back out. She was led to her spacious compartment that more like a room in a house than a train compartment and must have been four compartments at one point. When the train began moving her Pokémon were released and they clambered into the bed and Otter pulled a book she had brought with from her pack. She began reading to her Pokémon as the train soon picked up speed, taking her on into the night and where her journey would continue.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Pine Coast City was coming into view, the train cutting through the rolling hills lush with impenetrable, dark forests giving the city its name. It was a city that tried to remember that it was supposed to be a part of the world rather than removing parts of the world to make room for it. Shaded and filled with pines, only what was needed for room was cut away. It was a city on the small side, making it ideal for bicyclists and trainers alike. When she got off the train, she checked her atlas and rode off for the nearest Pokémon Center. It was an easy ride and she was grateful for the thick gloves she wore as the sharp, chill of winter and the blanket of snow tried to cut through her layers. Eevee was hiding in her jacket, despite her dense fur, she was a Pokémon more familiar with southern climates. Precious, on the other hand despite the thinner fur of the persian, was reveling in running alongside his trainer as they made their way to the Pokémon Center. Having been cooped up on board the train for the last week, Precious was happy to stretch his legs. It was easier on her eevee and Otter felt a little guilty for that but the happiness on the persian's face quickly dispelled any of it. When she arrived at the center, Otter approached with Precious trailing behind her, guarding her back. Eevee poked her head out and jumped down to play with the Persian.

"Hi there, how may I help you today?" The nurse asked Otter.

"My name is Otter from Matpa Town, I was wondering if my license had come in." Otter responded hopefully. This was it, the moment of truth; if it had come in then she was still within the narrow window of opportunity to tame a Lapras.

"I'll need photo identification but yes, I believe your license has come in." The nurse took the identification and went into the back. She returned quickly with an envelope marked with Otter's name. "This is it, is there anything else I can assist you with today?"

"No, thank you, have a nice day." Otter grinned as she stuck the envelope in her pocket.

"We hope to see you again," The nurse called out as Otter exited and unlocked her bike from the rack.

She already knew how to get to the coast, Otter had been planning it for days now. Apologizing to her Precious and eevee, she returned them to their pokeballs, promising them a romp on the beach. She took off, there would be people watching but not many trying to tame a lapras. Lapras were highly empathic animals and would only allow themselves to go to a trainer they felt would care for them. When she got to the beach, she ran for the nearest changing room and slipped quickly into a wet suit to try and stave off as much of the chilly waters as possible. Once changed Otter ran down the beach where she could see a crowd gathering on the pier to watch from a safe distance.

Police had cordoned off the beach preventing anyone from getting close to the newborn hatchlings that were slowly making their way down the beach to the water, encouraged by the songs of the lapras in the pod. She flashed her new license at the police who let her through, knowing as she did, that the hatchlings were not allowed to be caught. She set her pack down, released Precious and eevee, and then asked them kindly to guard her pack. Precious took a serious approach to this, sitting next to it with stoic determination and a glare threatening violence. She gave them both a treat from the pack before she dashed off for the water.

The lapras pod looked at Otter for a brief moment before continuing their song. The cold of the water cut through the wetsuit and she knew this would have to be quick. Otter swam strongly to a trio of lapras floating apart from the pod. She closed the distance between them but stopped, giving them the option of making the final approach. The mate pair scrutinized this trainer, staring directly into her eyes; the younger lapras not noticing her parents had gone quiet. The first to approach was the larger male, his shell was littered with pockmarks and deep gauges most likely from fights with wild gyarados or tentacruel. He swam a gentle circle around her before returning to his mate. The female approached, her shell less marred than her mate's and she swam even slower yet around Otter, pausing long enough to put her snout directly in front of Otter's face.

Every childhood dream squealed in her head but she held quiet not wanting to spook the lapras. With a soft keen, the female brought the male and the young female lapras over to them. The male dove under the water before surfacing right beneath Otter leaving her on his back. She was grateful for it and gave the neck of the lapras a light pat. She wasn't certain how much longer she could have kept treading water if she had to tame the younger lapras too. The female nudged her daughter towards the human and hesitantly, the young lapras approached.

Otter put out a hand letting the Pokémon approach, it brought its snout right under Otters hand, the cool wet flesh under her fingers intermingled with the soft warm breath leaving the nostrils. She reached a hand out and scratched under the lapras' chin. The male bucked, knocking Otter into the water. The younger lapras sank and caught her new human, the parents satisfied at the bonding, went to greet the hatchlings.

Otter was sitting comfortably on her lapras as they lazily swam in circles getting comfortable with each other. Swiftly moving shadows beneath them caused a brief disturbance before heading straight for the pod and hatchlings. With stentorian bellows, six gyarados emerged from the sea, rearing up to strike. Otter cried out in alarm, fear on her face for the hatchlings and the pod. A beam of light raced across the beach and struck the lead gyarados full in the face following by a storm of swift motes, the sand underneath the hyper beam turned to glass. Precious took a step towards the water, menace in every step of his approach with eevee right behind him. The lead gyarados sunk beneath the waves, the others though were undeterred.

Whispering an encouraging word to her lapras, Otter watched as an ice beam from her lapras hit another gyarados, forcing it to retreat. The rest of the pod joined in and drove the gyarados off keeping the hatchlings safe to see another day. The pod and the hatchlings took off further north, following the coast until they were gone from sight. Otter and her lapras turned to shore, exhausted from the stress of the ordeal.

Precious and her eevee crowded at the water's edge. Otter's eevee had taken a perch on the head of the Persian to avoid the steady advance and retreat of the ocean and they waited patiently. Precious had grabbed a luxury ball from Otter's pack and was waiting for her. With a beam of light, lapras was retracted and a heap of praise was given to all three of them for their hard work. The crowd on the pier gave a loud cheer for the young trainer before they dispersed. Otter ducked into the restroom to change, leaving persian and eevee outside the door.

When she reemerged she saw a lone figure still on the pier watching her. The police had moved on and while Otter thought it would probably be safest to ignore the man staring at her, she didn't like mysterious people just watching her. With Precious and eevee at her side she was not scared of anything. She began running though when she got on the pier and closer to the man.

"Fox!" She called out in exuberant greeting.

"Hello Otter," He swept her up in a hug before letting go, "Well done out there, good work with the lapras pod too. Did you get this handsome fellow from a pokéshelter?"

Fox knelt down to greet Precious face to face who gave a menacing growl and sat alongside Otter's leg. Fox chuckled softly and stood back up. Eevee greeted him happily, having known Fox nearly as long as Otter.

"This is Precious, the shelter said they were going to put him down at the end of the week. While at first I might have preferred starting with a freshly caught meowth, who couldn't look at this face and say I want it. The shelter said he was 'too aggressive to be adopted', at least with me there has been no troubles. He's an angel." Otter smiled as the persian rubbed his head against her hip.

"You always could handle the orneriest of Pokémon. Where are you staying tonight?" Fox asked out of curiosity.

"I hadn't decided yet, I know there are hotels around but I haven't looked into any of them." Otter shrugged.

"Don't bother with them, they're all occupied with the lapras migration and hatching tourists. There's a trainer lodge a few miles from here up in the woods. Its facilities can accommodate any Pokémon and trainer. Care to join us?" Fox offered.

"Of course, do they have a pool I can let my lapras out into?"

"Big enough for my gyarados and your lapras."

"Congrats on that match by the way."

"Thanks, if I'd been more careful my gyarados wouldn't have gotten burnt. We should have known that hypno knew poison gas." Fox ran a hand through his hair exasperatedly, "Do you need a hand drying that wet suit? I don't see a growlithe around so you must not have caught your fire type yet."

Otter stalled at the thought of him using such a formidable Pokémon for something so mundane, "I don't want to tax your Ninetales."

"We don't mind; I can introduce you to part of my team now." Fox released his ninetales before Otter could argue further, "My dear, would you be so kind as to run a few wisps over the suit?"

His ninetales responded quickly and soon the wetsuit was dry and packed away. Fox made the introductions but Otter's Persian remained reticent. Ninetales was well groomed, her fur in immaculate condition. Fox had been feeding her well and it showed. Ninetales was a happy Pokémon with little reason to disobey her trainer.

"I see you still don't have a bike and while I don't mind walking, it's going to take a while if we go by foot isn't it?" Otter asked looking around to make certain she hadn't missed anything.

"My pack and gear are all up at the lodge, I only have my Pokémon with me but, I have a plan." Fox retracted ninetales as he spoke and pulled out another pokeball. "Since there don't appear to be any reporters around still, we can fly out there. Go get your bike."

When she returned Fox pulled out a pokeball which released an impressive specimen of a dragonite and she nuzzled against Fox's neck. Otter looked on in awe, this was amazing. Fox had been busy in the time he had been away from Matpa Town. She returned her Pokémon to their pokeballs as Fox climbed carefully on the dragonite's back. With a speedy swoop the dragonite took off, banked around and grabbed Otter pack and all. It was only a few moments of sheer gut wrenching terror but that was more than enough for Otter.

"Next time, you get hugged, I ride on dragonite's back." Otter stated woozily as they walked up the front steps of the lodge. Fox chuckled and took her up to the check in counter.

Check in asked a handful of questions regarding her team and she wound up with a room on the first floor near the pool. The elevator ride was filled with a companionable silence as it dinged the floors. The elevator took them deeper than Otter was anticipating and when it opened it was into a simulated beach paradise. There were Pokémon lounging in the massive stadium sized zero entry pool. Fox ran up to the water, released his gyarados and dragonite into the water and then led her down a hallway. Her room was across from his and he ducked into his room as she went in to hers.

Fox changed into swim trunks as Otter settled in to her room and ran back for the pool with his towel in hand. He let out his venusaur under the sun lamp by the other grass types dozing in recumbent laziness. Fox gave the gigantic grass type a scratch under the chin before he set loose his sandshrew and ninetales. They both showed their affections before running off to the rock feature play area where they could be seen waging mock battles with the other Pokémon.

Setting his towel and pokeballs with his venusaur, Fox ran straight for the pool and dove in, his gyarados and dragonite swimming over to greet him. Otter came out from her room with her persian and eevee in tow and she released her lapras into the pool. Precious and eevee wandered off to explore the rock features to join in the play battles being waged between Pokémon. She set her towel by the venusaur she hazarded a guess was Fox's. When she dove in, her lapras swam up to greet her, and they floated together in the comfortable water.

Fox spoke to his gyarados and the three of them drifted slowly over to Otter and her Lapras. He was leaning on the crest of the gyarados with a lazy smirk on his face that back in their days with Rabbit back in Matpa Town meant he was up to something.

"Don't you smirk at me like that, Rabbit and I are still annoyed you haven't messaged us at all during your year ahead of us." Otter glowered with mock menace.

"Please note the gyarados and dragonite with us, time is not something I have had enough to spare especially with the others too." Fox gestured around him.

"It's okay, I know you're busy training and tackling gyms but Rabbit and I had an idea."

"Go on."

"You haven't taken out the Poison Gym in Borealis City, Rabbit and I know that because the reporters said nothing about it. On July eighth, all three of us should meet up there and take on the gym together. That's a little under six months from now, you could make it one of your last gyms." Otter explained, Fox's face was an unreadable mask leaving her apprehensive about his answer.

"I can live with that plan; which way was Rabbit going last you saw of her?" Fox grinned.

"She went to the Dark Forest, then it's off to Briar Point to talk to some Professor about dimensional energies. Remember, she was trying to figure out a way to explain "ghost" type Pokémon. She's more interested in being a Professor of Pokémon Studies than she is a professional trainer."

"What about you?"

"I…don't know yet. I figured maybe I would get out into the world, see as much of it as I could before I return to Matpa and take up the family business. I could branch out with Arcanine, start something new but I really hadn't thought too far ahead." Otter confessed.

"No shame in spending time to find yourself. You and Rabbit always were the smart ones. I'm certain that you'll come up with something." Fox reassured hoping she saw what he always had known.

"Maybe you're right Fox, I think we're going to turn in for the night, I've had a long day." Otter paused, "See you over breakfast?"

"See you over breakfast Otter, good night." Fox gave her a glowing smile before she got out of the pool, retracted lapras and called over her other two before padding quietly down the hall.

Most of the other trainers had also retired for the evening and soon, Fox was sitting by himself. Gyarados brought Fox to the pool's edge and as he climbed out, his gyarados slithered out behind him. Dragonite hopped nimbly out of the pool and Fox returned them all to their pokeballs for the evening. He went back to his room and when Otter awoke the next morning, it was to a letter from Fox that had slid under her door. She read the letter twice before nearly crumpling it in anger, hesitating before she smoothed it out and set it carefully in her pack. Otter set food down for eevee and Precious in the room. After which lapras was taken out to the pool where Otter could get some food laid out for her.

She was still angry from the abrupt departure of Fox; he could have at least stayed around long enough for breakfast. Otter took breakfast from the restaurant on the other side of the pool as she mulled over the next leg of her journey. She knew closer to the jungles she could find what she was looking for but here in the north she could find arcanine packs. Tis the season for hatchings and births, she checked the Trainer's Almanac on her phone. There was a large pack registered to the north past an estuary, Otter and Lapras could take the river right into their territory. The tricky part would be convincing the arcanine alphas to part with one of their growlithe pups. Otter would have to spend a few weeks to two months to earn their trust enough to be allowed even close enough to the pups to bond with. Thankfully she had a tent strapped to the bottom of her pack and enough MRE's and non-perishables to last that long or beyond.

Otter checked out of the lodge after purchasing another blanket, strapping it to the top of her pack. She would have to rearrange the pack after she broke the vacuum seal on her sleeping bag but in the north it would be better to be prepared than to go to sleep one night and never wake up. It was the case of more than a few trainer disappearances, the more pampered or privileged, the under prepared or those who thought themselves invincible. The nurses who hoped to see the trainers again, that was their sincerest wish. It was heartbreaking to activate the tracking beacon on the pokeballs, to come across a young adult whose last trip home was in a box or urn. Otter refused to succumb like that, she had miles to go before she slept and promises to keep.

She rode her bike down the trail, the brisk morning air waking her thoroughly. Eevee was bundled in her jacket as the miles vanished quickly and she soon found herself back upon the beach. Lapras was let out and swum happily in circles as Otter checked over her pack one last time before she left Pine Coast City, maybe after she caught her growlithe she could come back this way to take the gym. Though she might be better off starting with a different gym, some of the ones in the south were more amenable to starting trainers. Satisfied that all lay well, Otter called Lapras over and hopped aboard finding a comfortable seat on the shell. Turning north, she put her troubles behind her. She could worry about Fox when she saw him again, when Otter saw him next, he would answer her questions; by force if need be.

Rabbit was having poor luck, the ghastly and haunter were staying aloof, she could feel them watching but none approached further than waiting just at the edge of her fire's light. Rabbit knew though, she would have to patient, something she was not exactly the greatest at being. She would sleep during the day, sketching the activities of the haunter and ghastly as the lures she set out on the cusp of the shadow's reach brought them in. They were more than content to play with her ponyta and squirtle but they remained leery of the human. Along with the sketches, Rabbit took notes regarding the way the moved and how they didn't always go around the trees but through them as if they weren't a part of them. On the windier nights, the ghastly and haunter wouldn't appear.

Rabbit had two theories regarding this; with the energy produced from high winds, it potentially created a strong enough disturbance that disrupted their dimensional hold on this reality or their forms were too gaseous to withstand a direct gust of wind. When she got to Briar Point she would discuss these theories with Professor Shadbush, after she got either a haunter or ghastly. If she could catch a haunter, which would be best, the further in its maturation cycle the better as she could better study its progression into the final stage of its life.

Her squirtle and ponyta were doing an admirable job keeping the beedrill at bay, something Rabbit was preferable to as most beedrill were aggressive and territorial. One hive could claim wilderness locales twice the size of the Dark Forest as their territory and despite their diurnal activities being opposite to her sleep cycle, she had a few run ins with them over the course of the next few weeks but none as terrifying as the moment she came across a little male nidoran halfway through March, her second month in the Dark forest.

Rabbit was exploring one gusty evening a little further from the trail by her campsite when she stumbled across the little fellow. He was snacking on some berries when she approached it, Rabbit held out a treat for it the scent of the snack drawing his attention. Approaching slowly, it was soon eating from her hand and then sitting happily on her lap. She stood up still holding it as she stroked his long ears careful to avoid the poisonous quills. It was peculiar to see a nidoran in the forest, their habitats generally tended to be closer to the plains and open grasslands.

When she approached her campsite, Rabbit grabbed an empty pokeball from her pack and watched as the nidoran was engulfed in the brilliant red light. Setting the pokeball down upon the ground, Rabbit watched it rock back and forth gently as the nidoran was settling in. She hoped he wouldn't break loose, it was unfortunate when the pokeballs broke and a terrible waste. A crashing in the brush began thundering towards her, causing her to look back in alarm. She grabbed the nidoran's pokeball and set it into the pouch with her squirtle and ponyta. The crashing grew louder as a pair of dreadful, snarling bellows broke the silence of the night. A nidoking and nidoqueen lumbered in their aggressive charge directly for her. Rabbit realized the little nidoran must have been from a migrating pair of adult nidos, a mistake she thought would cause her end.

As the nidoking and nidoqueen got closer, Rabbit felt four pairs of hands grasp her by the wrist; lifting her up and out of harm's way she looked up to see four haunters pulling her up into the night. When she looked down Rabbit saw her camp being trashed, her pack though was nowhere in sight. Looking left she saw another haunter carrying her travel pack, a flurry of ghastly surrounded the nidoking and nidoqueen. Spewing gas from their mouths, the rampaging Pokémon soon collapsed to the ground having fainted from the toxicity of the gas.

"Please don't kill them." Rabbit pleaded with the haunter holding her in the air.

The haunter looked at her, regarding for a moment her words before one disappeared from her and reappeared down amongst the ghastly. For a brief moment, an exchange of some sort was going on between the Pokémon but soon the ghastly withdrew the gas back within themselves and vanished. The haunter slowly lowered her back into the ground and set her pack next to her. Rabbit pulled out her notebook, writing down the events that had transpired even going so far as drawing the progression of the scene over the course of the next few pages. She set the notebook down, approaching the nidoking and nidoqueen. Their pulses were strong, being poison types themselves she doubted the poison would kill them but she had still been worried as the gas from a ghastly was a different toxin than the poison these Pokémon produced.

"Haunter, could you take them somewhere else closer to their actually range?" Rabbit asked hoping they would understand the sentiment of her words.

The evening continued to fill her night with new experiences and memories as from her shadow emerged two imposing gengar, though in proper daylight would appear purple in color, seemed impossibly dark in coloration as if absorbing the light. The air cooled as they manifested, which brought more notes being scratched into the notebook. Slinging the slumbering Pokémon over their formerly ethereal shoulders, the gengar lifted into the sky and sped off. The haunter and ghastly surrounded her, despite having witnessed the gassing of the two large Pokémon she had no fear of them. The five haunter floated around her shoulders and the small horde of ghastly spun in a circle around the campsite keeping guard.

Rabbit pulled out the lure treats from her pack, offering them to the haunter and ghastly in thanks for their efforts. She set another empty pokeball on the ground, not pointing it at any of the Pokémon but making it visible; letting it be known she would care to receive one of them as her companion. When the gengar returned closer to dawn, they took note of the pokeball on the ground.

"You've all been a wonderful boon in this time here in the forest, I've enjoyed learning about each and every one of you," Rabbit started as the horde of ghost type Pokémon gathered around her behind the gengar as she showed them the notes and drawings she had done, "Would one of you like to come with me?"

She gestured to the pokeball as she finished speaking and waited for their answer. Ghost types were known to be clever but also mischievous. With their reputation it was best to show them all due respect. The gengar turned their backs to Rabbit and however they communicated, communicate they did. After a long drawn out moment, the haunter that had thought to grab her travel pack came forward and approached the pokeball. Touching the button in the center, he was relegated into light and then the pokeball closed. It never shook even once which warmed Rabbit's heart knowing just how much trust she had earned from this ghostly group.

She felt guilty about her previous capture but promised softly that the nidoran would grow up happy and healthy. Her tent, thankfully had been closed during the deterring of the nidoking and nidoqueen and had not received any of the gas but there was still a lingering odor that she let air out before climbing inside to sleep for the day. One by one the horde of ghost types vanished slowly as the rays of daylight brought an end to Rabbit's night. The gengar were the last to vanish taking one last long look at Rabbit. She let her ponyta and squirtle loose, her ponyta's horn had started budding as she was reaching maturation while her squirtle was also going through a maturation process of his own.

His ears were emerging while his tail was splitting into a second one and based on the Trainer's Almanac the tail and ears would be finished with their process after two months from the first sign of the skin taking on a spongy sort of appearance though that was a guess as every squirtle matured a little differently than others depending on the season. That being said, it was always around the two-month mark. Squirtle's shell was darkening rapidly though which meant that the wartortle phase would begin most likely sooner than later. They stood guard to keep the beedrill at bay while she rested, she let her nidoran and haunter out as well but the haunter drifted lazily to the floor of the tent. Folding its ephemeral hands underneath it, the haunter closed its eyes and drifted back to sleep. Nidoran when released, shivered and mewled softly. Carefully Rabbit took it in her arms and they fell asleep together. When evening broke, haunter and nidoran were nowhere to be seen but the tent flap was open.

Her four Pokémon poked their heads in. Laying out their evening meal, Rabbit went about preparing one for herself. Taking a walk in the light of the setting sun, she had taken her cleaning supplies with her and they approached the river. Haunter bobbed along ahead of her grinning happily, they came upon the river in short order. An arcanine pack was on the other side taking a drink making her think of Otter, somewhere out in the world. Rabbit was looking forward to getting back into civilization to check her messages.

She wondered if Otter had found the rest of her team yet as she pulled out the grooming brush for ponyta. Meticulously as she had done for years, Rabbit brushed the soft cream white fur of her friend. Once ponyta was satisfied with the grooming, she turned to look over her squirtle, his shell was scratched in more than a few places from where the beedrill stingers had scraped across or broken on the shell.

Squirtle, as Rabbit traced over the marks as she cleaned his shell, seemed quite smug about his battle scars; something that made Rabbit giggle. Haunter did not require any grooming, acting instead as a set of extra hands for Rabbit. Nidoran was then carefully bathed, and the young Pokémon was still deciding whether he liked to be; put up a playful fuss, Rabbit was indeed grateful for her Haunter's presence. After they returned to the campsite, she packed up the tent and the other equipment.

It would take another half a month to get out of the Dark Forest. The gengar and their horde appeared to wish her good bye. Carefully loading the saddle bags and harnessing her azure maned ponyta, squirtle and nidoran were withdrawn but haunter refused to return to his pokeball which Rabbit understood. With parting glances, she and ponyta took off with haunter trailing quickly behind her.

Rabbit was taking the mountain route to Briar Point and there was a gym there for trainers that were just starting out. Her Pokémon had engaged in some mock battles between each other to help hone their skills but soon they would test their skills together. She needed to get her nidoran ready as well, once sunrise came they would bunk down for the day. At sunset she could get up, feed her Pokémon and then work with haunter and nidoran both. Following the course of the moon, ponyta was a fiery beacon in the night.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Otter was lounging on lapras' back as the coast swept by, the spring afternoon was warm and soporific. She stilled grinned happily at the success of the last two months, more so when she heard from Rabbit yesterday. A picture had come in on Otter's phone of Rabbit taking a selfie with her little team of four. Haunter was floating over her head making a face at the camera and a tiny little nidoran almost as small as Otter's eevee when they first set out was perched on one shoulder, ponyta was curled alongside Rabbit's right side and the squirtle was seated happily in her lap. Otter had saved it and set it as her background. After the sun began to set Lapras and Otter pulled up on a lonely stretch of beach.

They would make the next city and her first gym the next day around noon if her atlas was any indicator. She would take a few days, wander around the trainer's park and engage in some battles to get ready amongst her peers. Setting up the tent, she let out her Pokémon for the night. Setting down their food, Lapras hung by close at hand near the water's edge. Growlithe, eevee and Precious were chasing pidgey down the beach; Otter watching them from stolen glances as she read from a new book. Lapras was tired but happy, resting peacefully. Eevee after two months had started her maturation process, the fur was lightening from brown, yellowish blonde fur was slowing starting to take over and the sharp needle like hairs were beginning to grow. She was nearing growlithe in size and almost unable to hide herself in Otter's jacket or perch on her shoulder.

Giving a whistle to attract growlithe's attention, Otter called him over. Precious, tired of the game, wandered over to see what Otter wanted. With the Persian's help, they dug a deep trench leading down to the water. The ocean filled it in readily and Lapras was able to swim up right alongside the tent. With a happy croon, Lapras settled in for the night. Otter readjusted the chair to be closer the trench they had dug.

As night fell, Otter set up a fire pit and growlithe spit an ember to light it. The stars above came out in force and she leaned her chair back to watch them come out. The Pokémon curled up against her and Lapras stretched her neck out to reach them. Lapras sang a pleasant melody that soothed and gradually lulled the others to sleep. Otter awoke when the fire died completely and a chill western breeze struck her. Moving into the tent she wrapped a blanket around herself and sensing she had moved, her Pokémon followed her into the tent. Piling on top or alongside her, Otter was soon quite cozy but unable to close the tent. If Lapras needed her though, she could at least see into the tent.

When the sun rose the next day Otter got ready and began decamping for the day. Lapras had swum out with the tide and was waiting for them, she obviously had snapped up some food from the sea as she wasn't begging for more like growlithe often times did. Once everyone was packed and ready, they sped down the coast. Lapras must have sensed Otter's excitement and was swimming at a faster pace than ordinary. Occasionally the spray would splash up and surprise Otter and eevee but it was enjoyable. Brill Harbor came in sight, there were two paths; one for trainers arriving by sea and one for the boats coming in. She gave Lapras a tap and the Pokémon turned towards the trainer path. Along the length of the beach, krabby and kingler scuttled about. Otter found a dock where she could put in and Lapras was doted upon before being returned to her pokeball.

Otter took a towel from her pack and dried off the damp little eevee. There was a standing desk on the dock and she pulled out the atlas. The park was near a Pokémon Center and she walked up to the street. Unclipping her bike from her pack Otter began the four-and-a-half-mile ride from the docks. Once she arrived at the park, she began looking at the registry at the entrance. A few of the trainers registered had some Pokémon that were more than likely too much of a match for her little team. There were other starter teams registered though that would be good to pit her eevee against.

"Are you ready eevee? Let's find you a good match." Otter scratched under her partner's chin.

She registered her team, including her Lapras, most parks had a place where the water Pokémon could be used in battle. Eevee was made team lead, Otter wanted to build her up and get her ready to take on a gym. Out of all the Pokémon in Merifos, eevee was the strangest, their physiology reacted to the radiation of three different stones that instigated a maturation process rather than going through a natural maturation phase like her growlithe would grow into or like Persian had gone through. Science had yet to fully explain the stones and while not rare, they certainly were not easy to come by. Her family, thankfully as breeders, had collected a decent sized stock of the stones. Her own eevee had a collar with the yellow "thunder stone" as some called it, set into the center of it opposite from the clasp. She entered her phone number and waited for an alert to come in.

At the trainers' park w/ the team, going to work with eevee some. She seems excited Otter shot a message into the group chat she had made for Rabbit, Fox and her.

Fox hadn't been responding to the other messages since he had left that note but Rabbit had always been enthusiastic to receive her messages. Otter hoped he had at least been reading the messages, he had seen them, that much she knew. The ellipses had shown that he had started typing a response when the girls had sent each other selfies of their teams. Otter only wished he would let them in, she was worried about some of the things that he had written in the note. An alert came in letting her know an opponent was ready in section eighty-two B.

Riding her bike down the trail, Otter followed the markers to where her opponent waited. The battlefield was ringed by a wide and deep creek, with a bridge crossing over it into the trainers ring. Other than that it was a flat grassy field with no terrain advantages one way or another. Otter's opponent was a ragged looking trainer who looked like he had spent more time further afield than she had. The wind caught it just right and by the smell of him, he hadn't even attempted to bathe in the time he had spent abroad. Otter's eyes watered, she could forfeit the match but cancelling the first one to wait for another meant a longer wait. Crossing the bridge, she gave him a wave and tried breathing through her mouth.

Eevee gave a tiny growl of from her perch in Otter's jacket. The little Pokémon was surprisingly ready leaving Otter nervous. She shook that off though, these matches weren't terribly serious and the Pokémon center was just down on the other side of the park. Eevee leapt out of the jacket and stood in front of Otter in a ready stance.

Silently her opponent threw down a pokeball that revealed a mankey that looked quite grumpy and it glared back at the trainer. Otter suspected the trainer had yet to completely earn the Pokémon's trust.

"The name is Hank; standard rules, three versus three?" Otter's opponent introduced himself.

"That's what I'm here for, the name is Otter." She responded trying not to breathe too deeply.

"Let our match begin then." Hank crossed his arms in a familiar stance.

"Did you watch that Fox v. Kaydin match up in Pine Coast City too?" Otter asked suppressing the urge to snicker. That pose looked preposterous on any but Fox.

"Uh, yea, I've been following all of Fox's matches. Someday, I'll meet him and win a match against him. Why?" Hank narrowed his eyes.

"I had a friend who stood exactly like that." Otter shrugged.

"Where are you from?"

"Matpa Town."

Hank connected the dots before letting out a barking laugh. Shaking his head, he gave the signal to start the match. The mankey made the first move lunging at eevee with a pair of cross chops that forced her eevee to dodge nimbly out of the way. With a quick attack she knocked the mankey off balance. Point blank Otter's eevee hit the mankey with a flurry of swift motes that slammed into it causing a plethora of minute explosions. The mankey staggered but spun aiming to strike the eevee with a low kick. Eevee hopped over its leg before leaping onto the mankey's head before leaping off. With enough distance to pick up speed, Otter's eevee tackled the mankey pushing it back before letting another flurry of swift motes. To Otter's delight her eevee was giving more than she was taking. The mankey was not well trained and it began to swing wildly, disobeying the commands from its trainer.

Otter didn't need to command her Pokémon, like Fox, she had their trust and believed they would know better than she what they were capable of. She had to withhold a gasp as one of the mankey's paws grazed her eevee's shoulder. Eevee continued to dodge, not out of purely defensive reasons but out of tactical observation and waiting for the right opportunity. Eevee found one and bit down hard on the mankey's tail after having gotten around its wild thrashing. With a strong tug of her head, eevee flung the mankey into the creek alongside the battlefield. Mankey could not swim well forcing Hank to withdraw his Pokémon and call his first match against Otter a loss.

"That eevee was stronger than I was expecting, must be one of those eevees from that family in Matpa Town."

"You aren't wrong Hank, I'll keep her out for the next match, choose your second." Otter grinned happily.

A pinsir was released onto the field and it clacked its jaws shut with a mighty snap. Eevee could handle this as well. Otter was certain of that after the last bout. Eevee looked back at her trainer who nodded. With a tiny growl, eevee chose not to wait for the pinsir to make the first move and her flurry of swift moving motes struck the pinsir in the face. The bug type barely flinched from the attack and it struck out trying to catch eevee in the vice like grip of its pincers. Eevee dodged but barely taking a scratch along her leg in the exchange. Otter's breath caught in her throat. Eevee set her paw down, testing her weight on it before tackling the pinsir from behind. Getting up on its back, eevee bit down with more force than the mankey at the base of the pinsir's pincer. Cracks appeared on the exoskeleton and the pinsir reached up and threw the eevee from it.

Eevee landed wrong on her already hurt leg and whimpered slightly. Hearing her partner's pain, Otter recalled her eevee before she got hurt worse. She sent out growlithe as a replacement and the match continued. When Otter bent down to check on eevee, she whispered quietly to the growlithe. The little fire puppy grinned happily in response and bounded across the field in an attempt to take down the pinsir in one move. Hank's pinsir grabbed the growlithe and threw him across the field. Growlithe landed nimbly and spat embers at the pinsir, inciting panic in the bug. These Pokémon Hank was using were not well trained at all, Otter noted; even if her Pokémon faced a stronger opponent, they wouldn't panic like this.

Growlithe circled the panicking pinsir, flames licking at the corners of his mouth. A fire filled bite latched onto the opponent's leg. Growlithe shook his head viciously throwing the pinsir across the ring. As pinsir stood back up, growlithe pounced on pinsir taking it back down. Hank withdrew his pinsir before it got hurt worse and sent out a kingler. Otter called growlithe back, not wanting to run at a deficit with the type advantage to Hank. She sent out Precious, Otter hadn't learned what other moves her Persian knew apart from hyper beam; given how strong Precious seemed it was best not to push the Pokémon to perform. She trusted the Persian to handle himself in a fight and she was looking forward to finding out.

Precious stalked towards the kingler slowly, dark energy roiling from his front paws. Otter grinned, knowing that could be useful depending on the gyms she went up against. The kingler held its oversized left claw as a shield scuttling carefully to keep the circling Persian in sight. The large feline was faster though and it darted in, swiping with its claws coated in thick gobs of shadow. Persian's claws scraped harshly against the shell causing both trainers to wince. Kingler swung his claw like a hammer trying to catch the other Pokémon in the grip but Persian easily dodged it. Putting distance between his opponent, Precious' fur bristled and a sense of electricity filled the air as a bolt of lightning ripped up the ground striking the kingler full on. It staggered but remained standing as a gout of water sprayed from its mandibles soaking the Persian completely but doing little damage to the strong Pokémon. Energy built up around Precious as it tackled kingler with a tremendous impact staggering the Pokémon further. Before Precious could get away, kingler latched onto the persian's leg. The sharp claw bit into the leg but Precious looked more annoyed than injured, a thought that kept the genuine worry at bay and let Otter know he was still okay. Rather than trying to get away from the Pokémon and break the kingler's grip. Otter watched as light began to coalesce in the Persian's maw before unleashing a hyper beam point blank and knocking the kingler out of the ring into the water. Otter smiled as her Persian sauntered towards her and began slowly grooming himself.

"Thank you for the match Hank, I hope you get the chance to face off against Fox someday." Otter was sincere but she had a hard time keeping a similar smug look off her face.

"You're going to be an amazing trainer, how long have you had that Persian for?" Hank exhaled after retrieving his kingler.

"Two months and some days now."

"Are there any other Matpa Town trainers I need to know about?" Hank exhaled, the scent of his breath causing Otter and Precious to flinch.

"You might find out." Otter taunted.

"I hope your eevee is alright, have a great day." Hank walked off in the direction of the Pokémon center.

Otter took the time to check over Precious while he groomed himself. He obviously wasn't hurt terribly. She called eevee back out and pulled her first aid kit from the pack, the wound didn't appear too terrible but the flesh underneath the fur looked bruised. Eevee didn't seem to have a broken leg but it was still tender. Otter carefully wrapped it and though she had three other Pokémon that were capable of continuing, this was supposed to be for eevee. She started to leave but eevee growled at her.

"You want to keep going? I know you are strong sweetheart but you don't need to push yourself." Otter chided the little eevee and only received a gentler growl in response. "Fine, but the moment I see you getting tired, you are going back into your pokeball and we are going straight to the Pokémon center."

Precious gave eevee's bandage a sniff and nodded sagely at Otter's words. Eevee nipped at the Persian's nosed but he just huffed and went back to grooming himself. This was their field until the next trainer beat them and they lasted three more matches after that until Otter's team was worn out and ready for dinner. First stop was the Pokémon center though to have eevee checked over. The nurse there checked over eevee specifically before turning to the rest of the team.

"I must say, your eevee is in peak condition in another three to four months, she should reach the end of her maturation phase. Your growlithe will be about the same, being such a fast growing species while your Lapras and Persian are perfect specimens though the Persian doesn't appear to like anyone but you. Did you raise him yourself?" The nurse asked.

"Actually no, the eevee is one that I've raised since it was born, I'm from the breeder family in Matpa Town you see. Precious I've only recently adopted from a pokéshelter and I am glad that I did. His matches today in the park were amazing, going into the first one I only knew one move that he was capable of. I learned the rest after that." Otter was still proud of the way her entire team fought and Precious was proving himself to be a solid anchor.

"This is that Persian? The shelter there in Narl Ood has been contacting police stations and Pokémon centers trying to find a home for him. I am glad to see that he has found one. Oh, here we go, your eevee is all set; give her a day to rest before you take on the gym here. Have a great night, there's a Pokémon lodge on the west entrance of the park. We hope to see you again." The nurse bade Otter farewell and went back to her nightly activities.

Taking the nurse's suggestion, Otter set off once more into the park. The sun had set and zubats could be heard in their chittering cries across the night sky. The stars in the city were muted with only what felt like a handful being able to be seen in stark comparison to her last two months. She carried her eevee while she let growlithe and Precious walk along beside her. She doubted any thief would try to steal from her under the watchful eyes of either Pokémon. Tomorrow she would issue the challenge to the gym while eevee was resting in her room at the lodge. The day after that would be her matches against the three trainers that studied under the gym leader and the next day from that would be the gym leader specifically.

We're ready for our first gym, issuing the challenge tomorrow. Hope you're doing well out there. Otter sent into the group chat.

… Fox was apparently beginning a message before he stopped and the ellipsis vanished. Otter sighed, but brightened visibly when Rabbit's typing began.

My challenge starts tomorrow at three in the afternoon, are you going to watch? Rabbit's message came in practically beaming with hope that Otter would say yes.

I wouldn't miss it for the world. Otter responded, truly meaning it.

I'm proud of you both, I have time to watch both of your challenges. Fox sent, surprising them both. Followed by a selfie of his team that someone else must have had to take.

He was sitting on venusaur's back under the shade of the massive flower, gyarados curled around them with dragonite reclining against venusaur's side by gyarados' tail with the head of gyarados on the right. Ninetales sat regally under the gyarados and sandshrew sat on Fox's lap. The Pokémon looked happy but Fox's smile didn't quite meet his eyes, something both Otter and Rabbit noticed but would send a private message to each to discuss it.

Miss you both. Fox stated surprising them, See you in Borealis.

Otter pulled the letter Fox had slipped under her door, took a picture and sent it to Rabbit via private message. She should know about Fox and maybe there was a hint in there somewhere about his hollow smile. They conversed well into the wee hours of the day before Precious took Otter's phone from her and set it on the other side of the room. Making the leap easily, the persian landed lightly despite his size onto the bed and slumped across Otter's legs. Taking the hint, she closed her eyes and slept until growlithe woke her with the sunrise.

Rabbit had already heard from Otter that she had registered a formal challenge to the Brill Harbor Gym, a tough match up despite her Persian given that the gym favored water and ice types. Knowing that Fox would be watching her first round of challenges today and tomorrow made her nervous but also filled her with a touch of fire. She would have to do well, Fox needed to know they were carrying on the legacy of only strong trainers coming from Matpa Town. The Briar Point Gym was a medley gym, one of those rare ones that had no specialty for typing. It was good for beginners as many learned from this gym to take what they were facing and turn a possible defeat into a victory.

At two forty-five in the afternoon, Rabbit approached the gym with a confident step. Haunter was floating above her, refusing like most days to return to his pokeball. His lighthearted antics made her smile leaving her little strength to scold the incorrigible Pokémon, truth be told the humor of her haunter gave her strength. If he wasn't worried going into this match, then she wouldn't either. As she approached the main entrance to the gym were four pillars each with a large rectangular plaque. Going over the names, she found the one she was looking for; running her fingers over Fox's name left her brimming with pride. She took a picture of it and posted it to the group chat with a smiley face in the subject line. She took a deep breath and stepped through the doors.

Otter had been sitting in the common room where the main television was and tuned it in to the channel that would have Rabbit's match on it. Eevee, was curled on her lap, growlithe at her feet and Precious occupying the couch alongside her. They were ready to see her friend in action.

Knock'em dead Rabbit. A message from Fox surprised her as he had not lately, been directly messaging either of them.

Thanks Fox, just you watch and see what my team can do. Rabbit responded with confidence.

Prove it.

Rabbit intended to do so, her haunter set a hand on her shoulder as they walked through the doors. The funny faces he had been making before they walked in left his face as they walked in front of the cameras.

"Miss Rabbit, any words you would like to share with the viewing audience before you go forth onto the preliminary fields?" A reporter shoved a microphone in her face.

"I only have words for two people, my close friends from back home also on journeys of their own; I am at my best and getting better thanks to you both." Rabbit took the intrusion in stride. Before they entered the doors, haunter gave the reporter a mean look that terrified the man.

"There you have it folks, Rabbit of Matpa Town with her haunter loyally at her side. From here we'll pass you over to Frank alongside the preliminary field. Frank, how are things in there?" the reporter struggled to regain his composure after what was inflicted on him by that Pokémon.

"Thanks Joe, keeping this short, I just want the folks at home to know the tension in the air is palpable. We have the first of the Gym Leader's students, by appearances I would say that's Ghoti, already on the field watching Rabbit approach. Her haunter appears to be mocking the student and making some rather colorful gestures that we can't exactly focus on. Let's turn this over to our ring side cameras." Frank was excited to witness this match up. Medley Gyms were, in his opinion, the most exciting fights to witness. Monotype gyms lacked the sometimes explosive adaptability of Poly type gyms.

"I trust you to make the best decision on when but we should surprise the opponent with a sucker punch to catch him off guard, incapacitate him and then we'll drop the boom. Sound good?" Rabbit whispered quietly to her haunter who growled in agreement.

"Challenger, I appreciate that you showed up early. Do you require time still to prepare or shall we begin?" Ghoti asked politely.

"Ghoti, sir, with due respect I would like to begin the match." Rabbit kept her manners in place knowing that others had gotten disqualified from the match for conduct unbecoming of a Pokémon trainer.

"Fantastic news, then allow me to send out my first Pokémon," Ghoti smiled before releasing a charmeleon onto the field. The field itself was standard low cut grass with no terrain advantages, "As this is a medley gym, if you win the first match of this round then you may choose what the terrain changes to. You may also choose to keep the terrain the same, any questions?"

"No, sir, I am ready to start." Rabbit hadn't thought about terrain advantages and definitely not how to capitalize on them.

"Will your haunter be your first Pokémon to start with then?" Ghoti asked.

"Yes sir, haunter, will you please go down to the field and face your opponent?" Rabbit always tried to keep her tone polite with her Pokémon. It kept them happy and respecting her as a trainer. Haunter patted her on the shoulder before drifting down onto the field.

"Aside from the terrain rules already stated by Ghoti, the rules are the standard three versus three singles match. First person with all three Pokémon knocked out loses the match. Ghoti at the ready? Rabbit at the ready?" The referee shouted, his voice echoing across the ring.

Rabbit and Ghoti nodded, while their Pokémon waited underneath the lifted trainer boxes. The referee dropped the flag and the match began. Haunter's right hand vanished and struck from up out of the charmeleon's shadow in a wicked sucker punch. He tumbled back from the impact to his jaw, the flame on his tail scorching the grass. Haunter's hand drifted back to him and he used it to make a taunting face at the charmeleon. Rabbit giggled at her Pokémon's antics and the haunter looked up, happy to hear his trainer's appreciation.

The charmeleon let out a burst of flame that haunter easily dodged continuing to frustrate his opponent with the faces he was pulling. Haunter's hands swirled around like a small tornado around the charmeleon, disorienting him before they came to a stop in front of the Pokémon's face. Holding up a finger on each hand, they began wagging back and forth like a metronome, his eyes glowing. The charmeleon's eyes began to droop as the hypnosis took hold; when haunter stopped the other Pokémon was wavering on his feet, barely staying upright. Haunter drew back and between his hands an orb of dark energy coalesced before striking the charmeleon. Ghoti withdrew his Pokémon as the charmeleon fell, haunter swooped up towards Rabbit.

"Well done haunter, are you up for another match?" Rabbit asked scratching under his chin. Haunter responded by returning to the battle field and making a rude gesture at Ghoti. "Sorry! I have no idea where he picked that up."

"All lies well; it is refreshing to see a Pokémon show such bravado for their trainer." Ghoti smiled before sending out an exeggutor.

The referee dropped the flag to start the match and exeggutor started immediately firing a barrage of shocking psychic energy. Haunter dodged most of the storm, but a few of the psychic shards grazed his gaseous form, momentarily disrupting his hold on this dimension. The smirk on his face replaced with a grimace as his eyes took on a harsh and serious edge.

Otter recoiled at the terrible look the haunter was giving the exeggutor. She shivered despite not being on the receiving end of that look. Rabbit and her haunter were doing well, but with a psychic type on the field the match was uncertain. Otter's friend had once proposed that since ghost types potentially came from another dimension their energies were linked with every other ghost type Pokémon. In this matter, it was probable that what one ghost Pokémon knew so too would the others.

Haunter turned back to his trainer and mimed putting his fingers in his ears, Rabbit took the hint and put her fingers in her ears. Ghoti seeing Rabbit plugging her ears did the same. The camera man looked at his crew team.

"Cut the sound, cut the sound and plug your ears!" Frank shouted at the team. If the trainers were plugging their ears, then they needed to as well.

Otter watched as haunter swelled up and then in a wordless tune began to sing. Exeggutor had no means to guard itself from the song filled with negative energy. Otter knew the song without hearing, it was sometimes heard by travelers in untenable locations leaving them to perish if they didn't flee the opposite direction. Haunter finished his song and the trainers on the field unplugged their ears. Ghoti withdrew his exeggutor and the referee called it a win in Rabbit's favor. She needed to win the next match fast, if she kept haunter out any longer he would fall victim to his own song. Haunter recognized this as well and when Ghoti sent out golduck, he barely waited for the flag to drop before he launched a flurry of punches that drew the electricity from the lights around the field. Golduck couldn't withstand the onslaught and Ghoti was forced to withdraw the Pokémon before it got injured. Haunter waited long enough for the match to be called before he fled to his pokeball.

"Well done haunter, I'm proud of you." Rabbit whispered to the ball.

"That was an amazing match Rabbit, I've never been so thoroughly beaten like that before. Your haunter is an astounding specimen. You have half an hour to prepare for the next match and you will find it harder to run only one Pokémon per match. Please, select the field you wish to battle on next and then proceed along the marked route towards it" Ghoti commended her.

On the west coast, Otter breathed a sigh of relief. Even though Rabbit and her haunter had been confident in that match, she had worried about them especially with the exeggutor that had come out. Perish song and thunder punch though, that had been unexpected and certainly seemed to solidify Rabbit's theory that a ghost type that shared essence with other ghost types could use moves from different species of ghost. The people of Merifos knew that other regions had different Pokémon and sometimes its trainers went far out into the world, not satisfied with their own region though that was on their own dime as the government stipends only worked within the country of origin.

I think you might be right Rabbit. Otter sent into the group chat knowing Rabbit couldn't check her phone till after.

Rabbit felt her phone buzz but that would have to wait until later. Haunter was back in his pokeball and theoretically once the Pokémon was back in, the effects of perish song would fade. She flipped through the arena options that were listed, only a couple of them aside from this one were viable options. One in particular gave her an idea and she selected the field. This should help continue her original plan. A yellow path lit up and she followed the trail until she came to the next arena. The drone of fans and the incessant heat struck her life a physical weight. Rabbit could handle this and so too could her Pokémon. Massive dunes had built up in the desert arena and the winds from the multitude of fans drove the sands in an airborne current throughout the field. Rabbit could barely see the field or the other trainer's box across the way and the heat from the lamps above was already causing beads of sweat to form upon her brow.

The camera crew had followed and set up in specialized press event areas around the arena. Frank was getting ready to speak into the microphone as his sound team finished their work trying to filter out the worst of the noise.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, as you can see behind me the challenger has chosen a rather unorthodox field for a starting trainer but as we saw in that last match; Rabbit and her Pokémon are strong enough to handle anything. The question we have now is whether or not Rabbit will voluntarily continue to only use one Pokémon for each set of three matches or if her opponent can cause a big enough upset to force her hand. The next student, Mina, is getting set up and organizing her pokeballs on the tray. Despite the heat, she appears to be cool and determined not to have her match go the way Ghoti's did. Let's turn our attention to the field and see how this goes. For our viewers just now joining us, the last round can be viewed in its entirety up on our website." Frank rattled off, he never needed any Teleprompters and his bosses let him run with whatever came to mind as it kept the home audience coming back.

Like Mina, Rabbit was organizing her trio of Pokémon; haunter was not in the grouping though he most likely would be for the next round. There was still five minutes before the match began and she took the time to whisper encouragements to her Pokémon. The pokeballs rattled lightly in acknowledgement. The last few minutes came to an end in an agonizing crawl. The referee made his announcement of the rules before dropping his flag.

Mina eyed her opponent from across the way, the only information made public to other trainers about each other was their starting Pokémon and Rabbit had a squirtle who should still be in the late stages of its maturation from squirtlehood into wartortledom. Even if she placed that out in response, she was still confident that she could overpower the water type even if she led with a fire type. With that in mind, she let magmar loose into the arena and waited to see that sweet glimmer of doubt appear on Rabbit's face, which never happened as Rabbit smiled and let out a Pokémon Mina never would have expected her to have tamed. An onix of immense proportions coiled in front of Rabbit and gave a stentorian bellow that seemed to hush the drone of the fans, albeit temporarily. Magmar inhaled deeply and spewed a large blossom of flame from across the arena. Onix burrowed into the sand in an effort to dodge the fire and only its vanishing tail tip received any contact from the flame. The arena rumbled as onix burrowed his way deeper into the sand before approaching his opponent from below.

"Folks, this is a pleasant surprise, Rabbit's strategy might mean that the unbeatable magmar that we have seen so far may finally have met her match. This is an exciting time to be tuned in to the Trainer News Network folks. Stay glued to whatever you're watching this from, Mina is in for a rocky ride." Frank whispered into his microphone quietly while never taking his eyes off the field. The rumbling settled and everyone held their breath in anticipation. The ground beneath magmar gave way into a deep conical pit. Onix had entombed the magmar in the sand pit and it struggled to get loose, any attempts to climb only sent the sand beneath its feet and claws crumbling, sweeping the magmar down back towards the center of the pit.

Onix burst from the wall of the pit in a sweeping motion that caught the magmar with the harsh stone edge of his horn and with a twisting motion assisted the other Pokémon with its escape from the pit. Magmar was launched high into the air with the impact and onix slipped back underground. The Pokémon had passed the peak of its ascent and magmar was soon on its way back down. Onix however did not give it the opportunity, he burst forth from the ground like a gyarados from the sea and with fearsome jaws closing tight on magmar carried it back underground. Sand burst in explosions across the arena as magmar tried to break free and the eruptions of sand soon began to falter until they stopped completely. The rumbles that had been shaking the arena stopped leaving the spectators apprehensive. Rabbit despite her confidence in onix was concerned, doubly so when magmar's clawed hand rose from the ground before dragging itself from the stand, it breathed heavily and onix poked the first three segments of his body out of the sand. Magmar took a deep breath and shot a blast of fire at onix but it splashed harmlessly off of the immense Pokémon. His tail lashed out from the sand catching the magmar heavily in the chest and flinging it back towards its trainer. Magmar tried to rise but with trembling limbs barely supporting it, magmar could not.

Mina withdrew her Pokémon and her hands hovered over her remaining pokeballs considering the next possible option. She hadn't wanted to play her trump card this early but with an onix of this caliber her hand was forced. Mina released a venusaur from an old looking pokeball. Immense in stature, as big if not bigger than Fox's, clearly this was a Pokémon that had experienced much, possibly even being passed down in the family.

Rabbit gave onix a whistle that would let him know what her orders were. It was just loud enough that it would resonate in the onix's body. With no visible ears, onix relied on vibrations to hear and experience the world as the species spent a long time underground rarely surfacing. A task that had been herculean for Rabbit to accomplish, not many trainers had an onix because of the nature of the beast. Rumbling in agreement, onix swept back underground recognizing the danger. The venusaur shook gruffly as leaves drifted down from her stem and flower, vines shot searchingly into the ground looking for onix. Trying to escape from the groping vines onix pushed to the outer edges of the arena. More vines spread out from venusaur, circular around her, at least twenty feet. Onix circled out of her reach contemplating his next move, the horn on his head jutting above the sand before it sunk suddenly out of sight. He struck quickly from under the grasping vines, his jaws catching the underbelly of the venusaur tossing her into the air, yanking the vines from the sand. Thick orange spoors shook loose from the flower in a dense blanket that coated the onix and filled the nooks and crannies of the joints in his serpentine body. Paralyzed he could barely move as the venusaur landed heavily and unscathed but for the scrape from the jaws of onix. Venusaur lashed out with thick vines coated in a caustic sap that left divots in onix's body. Rabbit's Pokémon bellowed in pain and trembled as he tried to get away from the furious attack.

She withdrew him before onix was injured further; angry at the onslaught, Rabbit took a deep breath before selecting her next Pokémon. Ponyta came onto the field from her trainer's side of the arena, azure mane flowing in the cross breeze from the fans. If Rabbit could have stopped and taken a picture of her Pokémon in that moment, she would have such was the picturesque nature of the proud stance ponyta had. Ponyta was growing taller, requiring Rabbit to place an effort into climbing aboard. The horn had begun growing and a nub was seen breaking through on her forehead.

Rabbit gave a different whistle and ponyta's fire spread down from her mane and dripping from her hooves. The Pokémon charged the venusaur, dodging the whipping vines easily. Sprinting rapidly around Mina's Pokémon, a fiery dervish began to spin around the venusaur. Drawing the circle tighter and tighter as ponyta ran, the fire blazed and the other Pokémon had kept her vines in tight but was trapped in the vortex of flame. The terrified groan from venusaur escaped the attack but with the flames rising around her, Mina could not aim and return her Pokémon to the pokeball. From here, ponyta knew what to do, they had worked on this. Breaking off from the ensnaring assault, the speedy horse Pokémon coating herself with flames and charged headlong into against the flank of venusaur. The fire splashed up from the impact catching the flower ablaze. Venusaur screamed and Mina withdrew her, Rabbit's opponent looked furious as she had no other choice but to use her last Pokémon; if she did though, her hitmonchan could wind up in the same condition or worse.

"I concede the battle to Rabbit, she is the victor in this match." Mina raised her hand attracting the referee's attention.

"Mina, what are you doing, this was not how I should have won the match." Rabbit was outraged having been denied a complete victory.

"As Ghoti said about your haunter, so too shall I say about your other Pokémon. They are well trained and raised well. In the event I won, I would be remiss to see agony upon your face as you worried if you could have served your Pokémon better. Ergo, I yield." Mina softened as she spoke to Rabbit with a sad smile. "Take the victory, part of a Pokémon battle are the mind games one wages against their opponent. Break their morale and you have ensured the win; now please, excuse me, I must attend to my Pokemons' wounds. Select your next field, you have forty-five minutes to prepare for your coming match."

Mina left through a door behind the opposing trainer box after collecting her pokeballs from the tray. Rabbit thought through the Pokémon that were well and capable of handling the next match. She sighed, haunter would need to play an active part; if Mina hadn't forfeited Rabbit had little inclination as to what her next Pokémon could have been and there were no guarantees it would be something her ponyta or nidoran could have handled.

"In a stunning upset that is sure to be cause for reproach from the gym leader, Mina has withdrawn from the round. Rabbit seems less than pleased by this outcome despite that she won. While she chooses the next arena, we're going to take a short break to hear a word from our sponsors." Frank slumped the moment the cameras were no longer than him, in his suit the temperature in this arena was torturous and yet the girl from Matpa Town was showing little to no effects from it.

Otter frowned at the news reporter, either he had never taken the option of a Pokémon journey or he had enough money people would take a dive just to receive a cut from the bookies when they lost. She knew why Rabbit was upset, though that was something she always seemed to know similar to the way Fox knew when either of them were or Rabbit regarding them. She took a moment to ensure that each of her Pokémon received some attention during the commercial break though they were barely paying attention to her. They were dozing peacefully alongside her chair in one big pile of multicolored fur.

I'm sorry about that forfeit that isn't much of a way to win but, at least you move that much closer to facing the gym leader. Otter forwarded into the group chat right as a message from Fox came in.

Proud of you, careful not to push your Pokémon too far. That's what Mina was trying to do for her team. From here on, you can handle this. We're delighted by your strength. Fox's message read, echoing Otter's sentiments partially.

Fox, where are you watching this from? Otter asked in a private message.

You would only be angrier with me if I told you. I am safe, if that is an acceptable answer. Fox kept it as ambiguous as possible without outright lying to his childhood friend.

I suppose that is only fair, thank you for showing Rabbit that you watched her match. It means the world to us that you're still on our side. Otter watched as the typing ellipsis appeared for the better part of a minute, vanished and then reappeared with a shorter time before a response.

Try as I might, the only side I belong to is mine but I will do everything within my power or beyond to keep from failing you both. While not much, maybe I can correct past deeds.

What do you mean? Otter asked but Fox had shut down again

Otter turned her attention to the screens as the cameras transitioned to a new arena. Frank was sweating in his suit and there was a grim satisfaction to see the normally unflappable reporter cracking around the edges from the arenas Rabbit had picked. The cameras had panned out to show a forest habitat and while not dense enough to prohibit filming the foliage was enough to provide an ample amount of coverage. Given which Pokémon Rabbit had left, this would be a solid advantage that she could exploit. Her team could handle this easily if she continued to approach this with a level head.

Rabbit climbed into the trainer box exhausted and worn out, this day had been a rollercoaster. The last match specifically had weighed heavily on her heart and she was ready to be done for the day. With the forest arena, while her opponent would be unable to see what Pokémon was thrown down as the only viable views were from the flanks of the arenas where the camera crews were already stationed. This tableau would be won entirely on the trust that the trainers' Pokémon could operate independent from their trainer's commands. Rabbit was setting her pokeballs down upon the tray when her opponent walked into the opposite box. The arena was set up with the trainer boxes set high above the treetops and clearings where Pokémon could be removed dotted the forest.

Thankfully the gym leader had already offered to allow her a day of rest to let her Pokémon recuperate despite the original schedule. This also meant that Rabbit could watch Otter's rounds tomorrow without worrying about being late, though that might have had something to do with the news producer contacting the gym's public relations department. Either way she was grateful for the reprieve and would spend it wisely, there would be enough time for Rabbit to spend on onix with the cleansing oil after that spore cloud.

There would be no opportunity to choose her Pokémon based on what the student opposite her sent out. They would throw down and hope for the best. Given the distance between them, the trainer's name popped up on the touch screen next to the pokeball tray. Rabbit's opponent, Horace, was the man who the gym would be turned over to when the gym leader finally retired. Daunting though that was, she still had a few tricks up her sleeve; there were a handful of creeks that ran through the forest. Rabbit could see them from where she was and one of the clearings was near one. Haunter's pokeball shook on the tray the red light flashing despite him not being a freshly caught Pokémon. Despite that her opponent might see, Rabbit released him low in the box. Apparently understanding the need for discretion, the haunter stayed low out of visible sight.

"You alright there?" Rabbit crouched low, the warning indicator that the match would soon be under way chimed on the speakers alongside the screen. In response haunter patted her knee and tapped himself back into his pokeball. The other pokeballs shook as well and Rabbit let the others out to check on as well. Each one, once comforted returned happily to their pokeballs.

Having some trouble with your Pokémon? Horace sent a message on the tablet.

I was just giving them one more once over making sure they were ready for this. Rabbit explained politely, omitting that the first Pokémon had let himself out of his pokeball.

If you're that worried about them getting hurt, you could still forfeit the match and challenge us when you're stronger. Horace offered.

And miss the opportunity to see my Pokémon succeed? No, that is not an option any of us will pursue. Rabbit declared.

Suit yourself, are you ready to begin?

In response she flagged the referee and raised her hand giving the signal that they were ready on Rabbit's side of the field. Across the arena, Horace did the same. The referee went over the rules once more before dropping his flag to begin the match. A beam of light could be seen from Horace arcing into one of the clearings near to his box, Rabbit sent out nidorino; it had surprised her at how quickly the little Pokémon was going through his maturation phase. After doubling in size in the week after she sent the selfie to Otter and Fox, Rabbit decided to do more research on nidoran as she hadn't really planned on including one on her team but the little Pokémon had been too cute to pass on. It turned out that the nidoran to nidorino maturation phase only took a short amount of time and he had already been working towards it when she caught him. Despite his growth, nidorino should still be able to sneak in relatively quiet fashion.

Understanding the plan of guerrilla warfare, nidorino crept along cautiously stopping to scent the air frequently in search of his opponent. There was something close by that smelled nothing like the forest. Ears moving independently of each other, nidorino zeroed in on his opponent. Quietly he moved towards, he had already heard the whistles from his trainer asking for the utmost stealth. Sitting in a clearing, barely moving was a clefairy that was gently rocking back and forth on her paws. She was crooning a soft tune that was not imbued with any energies that would cause nidorino to hesitate his attack.

The quills on his back shot out, surrounding the clefairy with toxic spikes; moving slowly through the shadows of the undergrowth. Clefairy had turned towards where he had been and released a blast of silver energy reminiscent of the moon's light. Unable to move without grazing the poison spread across the clearing, she let out a disarming scream that hurt nidorino's ears who shook his head trying to clear the ringing in his ears. Laying his ears back, nidorino charged through the clearing with thick poison dripping from his horn. Clefairy dodged the poisonous jab dancing around the field of spikes. With a belch, nidorino let out a ball of sludge that exploded like a bomb on contact with clefairy. Stumbling from the impact, clefairy grazed one of the spikes.

With meteoric speed she lunged at nidorino, her punch catching him across the jaw. Nidorino reared back from the impact before slamming down with his horn. The poison was beginning to take its effect on clefairy, with one last effort the Pokémon hit nidorino with a final blast of that silver energy. Dealing only minor damage, the light of the attack hurt nidorino's eyes more than the blast of energy dealing any physical damage. Clefairy collapsed causing Horace to withdraw her. With blurry vision, nidorino retreated back into the shadows; he closed his eyes and let his ears tell him about his environment.

Nidorino could hear his trainer's breathing and moved back towards it. Rabbit couldn't see her nidorino and she gave a whistle inquiringly. He moved into the clearing in front of her box, opening his eyes they were still bleary and he closed them again raising his ears in acknowledgement to Rabbit. She gave a whistle again and he dropped his ears declining the option for being withdrawn. Rabbit didn't know the extent of nidorino's injuries but she trusted him. Horace sent down his replacement for clefairy and left him to his own devices.

Nidorino tested his vision noting that it was mostly clear, ears swiveling listening for an opponent but there was little sound but the rush of water off his right flank. Taking a deep breath, nidorino took in the scent of the arena noting a slight musty smell. Moving away from the smell and closer towards the water. The opponent struck quickly, wrapping around nidorino despite his barbs; arbok began squeezing tightly trying to crush him. Neither's poison affected the other and it soon became a clawing feral struggle. Biting down hard on the thick coils that had encircled him, nidorino kicked and scratched in a panicked frenzy. Arbok released nidorino before the Pokémon inflicted any serious damage.

Spewing a thick acid that ate into nidorino's skin, arbok slipped away waiting for the damage to take. Nidorino rolled around in the undergrowth and dirt trying to brush off the worst of the acid. He charged straight into the creek nearby letting the water wash off the acid. It hadn't inflicted terrible damage but it had eaten through some of his thick skin leaving nidorino itching. Crawling back onto the bank, he shook off the water before using his hearing to try and zone in on the arbok's location.

He struck quickly again, biting down onto nidorino's leg and wrapping tightly around Rabbit's Pokémon. Nidorino bit down hard on the coils and neither Pokémon wanted to let go of the other. Nidorino's jaws were tight just under arbok's hood and arbok's coils were tight. Breathing was a struggle for both Pokémon and their grips soon loosened on each other. Collapsing where they stood, neither made it back to a clearing. The referee called both Pokémon unable to battle having access to multiple camera feeds in the forest itself which was being sent back to the viewers but not to the trainers. The match was paused as the boxes were lowered and the trainers ran out to collect their Pokémon. Their grips on each other had diminished when they had both blacked out from lack of oxygen making it easier for Rabbit and Horace to disentangle their Pokémon from each other.

"These two are covered in wounds, that arbok of yours didn't give my nidorino an easy fight in the slightest." Rabbit complimented Horace as she extricated nidorino from the last coil of arbok.

"And yet, somehow my arbok still got the worst of it. Shallow puncture wounds from the barbs, scratches all over him and this bite up by his cowl. He won't be in fighting shape for a few days at the least. Though to be fair, I doubt your nidorino will be ready to face the gym leader. Shall we head back to the boxes and continue this match?" Horace gestured back towards where she had come from.

"Please, I would enjoy that." Rabbit hadn't returned nidorino and instead was cradling him carefully; the physical contact was a comfort and let her know that despite the wounds he had received, the tenacious Pokémon was still breathing.

The two trainers went back to their boxes and Rabbit set nidorino carefully on the bench next to her. Before they started the match back up, she spread some antibacterial ointment on as many of his wounds as possible. Despite the Pyrrhic victory, she was up two to one and could pull this win off. The referee began the match once more and Rabbit sent down her wartortle, the ears and tail had finally finished coming in and squirtle had finally shed the last of his baby stage. Immediately he went straight for the creek and slipped into the water to take as much advantage of the field as possible. The dark coloration of his shell blended with the riverbed and he moved languidly along. Horace had a guess as to what Pokémon would have been in her line up and had adjusted accordingly. His Pokémon went straight for the creek that cut through the forest arena and electabuzz sent a current of electricity racing into the water. Wartortle though not in the immediate vicinity felt the change of water coming and leapt out of the water before it hit. Electabuzz had already been charging for where he suspected his opponent would come from the water. With a punch filled with electricity he struck the wartortle in the belly, the arcs potent on the damp opponent. Before he fell from the punch, electabuzz amplified the static in the air and dropped a bolt of lightning onto wartortle. When the wartortle dropped, he walked straight to the nearest clearing and dropped him in full sight of his trainer before melting back into the woods. Rabbit was furious at the smug approach of the electabuzz and the careless way he dropped her Pokémon. She recalled wartortle and picked up haunter's pokeball.

"I hope you're ready for this haunter, we have an electabuzz on the field who just felled wartortle quite possibly in two or three hits." The pokeball shook in her hand and she sent the ghost type down into the field.

Flitting up into the dark shade of the tree tops haunter moved cautiously, became intangible and passing through an object if it would give away his position. He came across the electabuzz near the water's edge and like with the charmeleon, he sent his fist into the shadows to sucker punch the enemy. Electabuzz took the attack on the chin though it barely seemed to register with him that he had just been struck. An arc of electricity shot from his antenna and swept through the treetops. Setting fires in the trees from the heat of the electricity the attack missed but forced haunter to come down to electabuzz's level. His body expanded and he shot a toxic ball of gunk at electabuzz trying to poison him. Avoiding the attack, electabuzz charged for haunter who fled intangibly through the trees as his opponent crashed through the woods in an attempt to attack him. Plotting his next move against the aggressive electabuzz, haunter summoned a ghostly gob of shadowy energies that blasted from between his hands and struck electabuzz in the chest forcing it to stop his advance.

With hands shooting off independent of haunter's main body he gripped the arms of electabuzz and carried him above the tree line. His gaseous clutch sending shudders through Horace's Pokémon and haunter took payback on him; an onslaught of dark energy thudding into electabuzz. Dropping Horace's Pokémon from high up, haunter watched him crash through the tree tops. A ball of shadowy energy followed the Pokémon down and struck him in a cacophonous rush. Will o wisps sped down from haunter and set the area around where electabuzz landed alight; electabuzz howled in pain and despite everything still tried to catch haunter with a bolt of lightning but the ghost type just sent another shadow ball down. Zooming down in a mad loop, haunter surveyed the area and dragged the unconscious electabuzz from the flames before it got terribly hurt. The Pokémon woke and weakly threw a punch that passed right through haunter's face leaving him annoyed but unbothered by the attack. Dropping him disgustedly in a clearing by his trainer. When electabuzz was unable to stand the referee called the match.

Otter cheered loudly in her seat, startling the other trainers that had been watching the match. That had gotten close there at the end but Rabbit's haunter had pulled through for her. Otter only hoped that she had garnered enough trust from her Pokémon for them to battle that hard for her. Precious rubbed the side of his face against her leg purring loudly as if reading her thoughts. She scratched him under his jaw the way he liked and her other Pokémon woke from their naps on her feet as if sensing Precious was getting more attention. Otter laughed as eevee and growlithe climbed into her lap. Laughing she stood up beckoning them to follow her and she left back to her room so she could let Lapras out into the pool. Along the way she texted Rabbit.

Amazing round, that team of yours is something else. I can't wait to see how much they've grown when we meet up in Borealis. Otter grinned at her phone thinking happily of when the three of them would meet up together despite where Fox's life had taken him.

Rabbit felt her phone buzz once more and after speaking with Horace, she left to go take care of her Pokémon. After being stopped by the gym leader on the way out, she made her way to the Pokémon center to deal with the worst of her Pokémon's injuries. They had the brush and oils to clean up onix and with haunter's help Rabbit could get the great stone beast clean in half the time. They couldn't leave him as he was overnight, and soon she was running to the Pokémon center. Rabbit would have taken ponyta but she was worried about stressing her when she had just worked hard in a match. After leaving everyone except haunter with the nurse, she handed her government stipend card over and received the oils and brushes necessary for onix.

Rabbit and haunter went out into the vast yard out back of the Pokémon center. Onix was released and the thick spore still coated his entire body. Opening the first of the five gallon drums, she began scrubbing down her Pokémon. The onix grumbled happily as the thick copper brushes got to work clearing the mess of spore off him. Rabbit sang to onix as her and haunter began working from the head down. Haunter was able to get into the narrower cracks that Rabbit couldn't quite reach and on the sections Rabbit wasn't tall enough to stretch up to.

"Excuse me, Miss?" A thin reedy looking man approached them cautiously.

"Yes, may I help you?" Rabbit responded without looking up from her scrubbing.

My name is Professor Shadbush; I believe you're the student that was coming to see me in Briar Pointe." He introduced himself, "May I assist you with your onix? He is a remarkable specimen, at least ten or fifteen feet over the average and despite that fine haunter of yours an extra set of hands is going to be needed."

"Oh! Yes, Rabbit Lagom, thank you Professor. Please take a brush we have a lot of work ahead of us." She gestured to the brushes and the oil.

"I saw your haunter fight, that was remarkable and I've never seen a haunter sing like that." The Professor extolled happily.

"I believe, in theory at least, ghost type Pokémon share an essence with all ghost type Pokémon. If they are compatible, then they can draw on moves other Pokémon from their 'family grouping' know; at least I think that might be how it works since we haven't seen Pokémon of their type breeding." Rabbit thought about that song and trying to understand how it all worked.

"The energies that make up these "ghost types" as everyone like to call them are unlike anything in our world. It is entirely probable that is the case regarding moves not ordinarily found in species like the gengar maturation line. I have not exactly had the best of luck in catching wild ghost types, the day after you face the gym leader come by the lab. We can get both your haunter and you familiarized with the equipment. Think of it, if we crack this, we'll be famous; what we learn could revolutionize travel both globally and even interstellar." Professor Shadbush was talking animatedly.

They conversed well into the evening though most of that was spent working on onix as venusaur had done an outstanding job coating the massive Pokémon. It was one of the few moments that Rabbit almost regretted having tamed the largest onix she could find. Haunter was shy at first around Professor Shadbush but began warming up to him and by the time they finally finished cleaning onix, haunter was showing an interest in the professor.

"Thank you for the assistance, and onix is grateful for it as well." Rabbit watched as the nudge from onix nearly knocked the professor over.

"It was my pleasure, I knew I picked the right trainer to share my studies and findings with. You said you had tomorrow off from the gym and you were going to watch your friend's match tomorrow, the matches don't start till the afternoon, why not come by the lab in the morning; we can get started on getting you acquainted with the lab." The Professor asked giving onix's massive jaw a quick scratch with a clean wire brush.

"If we could, I would appreciate that immensely; Briar Pointe University building eight, correct?"

"Right on one, come by around ten, you do need some semblance of sleep and breakfast."

"Thank you Professor, I will see you then." Rabbit waited till after Professor Shadbush had gone in and away from the windows before she danced a happy jig with haunter, "Onix, time for you to rest, I want you all in tip top shape for the battle to come."

"We have footage from Otter's warm up matches in the park and of course we recorded Rabbit's preliminary rounds. Those girls have garnered a lot of respect from their Pokémon, do you think maybe we should invite them?"

"No, absolutely not Hank, I want to keep them out of all that we have become." Fox shook his head, having the girls join him was something he never hoped to see.

"I will respect your decisions but what if they're targeted by them?" Hank had shed his smelly, drunken hobo look and was actually looking somewhat presentable.

"I intend for them to be gone before that happens." Fox's demeanor from watching the matches changed swiftly.

"Yes but what if they do get targeted by them before then?" Hank tried to keep this messed up world in perspective.

"Then we will burn every last one of their homes to the ground until nothing is left but ashes." Fox said through gritted teeth.

"Alright, calm down boss, I understand it was just a thought. Have we had any word from our spies regarding their movements?" Hank asked trying to find out more about what was going on.

"The Prophets of Renewal are heading in to Briar Pointe, I don't understand why but they're going after Professor Shadbush's research."

"That's where Rabbit is going after the match against the gym leader; aren't you concerned for her safety?" Hank pressed.

"As you said, she's going after she fights the gym leader. Zeke is heading in with his team tomorrow morning to keep them from getting his research."

Ponyta's hooves clattered down the street as Rabbit sped through the quiet morning. She was earlier than the Professor had asked but she figured the sooner they got started on the research the better. When Rabbit approached the university she undid the saddle and tucked it under her arm. Withdrawing ponyta afterwards, she let haunter loose and they walked together looking for building eight. The building was in the back corner of the university and it was a long walk from the front entrance of the campus. The laboratory was unlocked which wasn't surprising but the disorganized array of the front room made her pause. Haunter growled and pushed ahead of Rabbit, taking the lead. They pushed further in finding complex machinery and folders strewn about. A pair of men were looking through a cabinet with their backs to her, haunter growled and made as if to threaten them but Rabbit whispered quietly at him. They moved on finding Professor Shadbush in his office. A deep gash in his chest welled up slowly and he was already fading fast.

"You're early, Miss Lagom, I like…that in my students. A shame…now though, you should run before they find you." Professor Shadbush muttered weakly.

"We can get you help, stop talking." Rabbit felt tears welling up.

"Sorry, it's too late for me, top right drawer. The…cabinets they're out there going through…they won't find anything there. All my work is in that file and on that drive…get out of here." Professor Shadbush raised his hand, weakly pointing at his desk before his hand dropped.

Rabbit moved to the desk, careful not to step in the pool. She dialed emergency services, collecting the items from the drawer. After describing the emergency to the operator she hung up and haunter bobbed by her shoulder. She opened the door to find both of the thieves walking up to the office surreptitiously.

"Well, look what we have here, a witness; you know what we do with witnesses Brother Aldus."

"The same treatment the Professor got for trying to stop us Brother Remus." Brother Aldus said, reaching into his jacket for a pokeball.

Haunter gave a sound that Rabbit had never heard him make. His hands expanded and pushed both of them away from his trainer. Grabbing tightly onto Aldus and Remus, haunter expanded larger than Rabbit thought him capable. Brother Aldus before he could get a hand free, was jammed into haunter's gaping maw and with a gulp he was gone. The Pokémon's form began rippling and convulsing but his jaws opened wide pulling Brother Remus within before closing. His form stopped rippling and as Rabbit watched a full body coalesced completing his maturation into gengar. She didn't have time to register this new shock as an abra appeared towing a man along with.

Gengar levitated in front of Rabbit protectively snarling fiercely. The man paid no attention to either of them, looking around. He wandered out to where the other two had been rummaging. Seeing nothing of interest there, he made his way back towards the office.

"The Professor didn't make it; I presume?" Zeke asked

"No, I already called emergency services they're on the way." Rabbit explained.

"That complicates things a little bit but no matter, we can handle this." Zeke grumbled and Abra floated behind the man, waiting to see what else his trainer needed. Zeke let out a magmar and a charizard as he walked away. "Girls, torch the place, leave nothing behind."

Gouts of flame spewed from both Pokémon and the place went up quickly, such was the heat of their fire. Gengar and Rabbit shied away from the dancing flames and stepped back into the office. They closed the door trying to put something between them and the fires, there was too much out there for her to even try to send wartortle out. It was too risky and he could get hurt. It would be better to try and ride out till the emergency services got there. Most offices here were fire rated.

"We can't leave anything behind; charizard and magmar, this office too. Burn everything and then, abra, we're out of here." Zeke could be heard through the door.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

At the Pokémon center, an alert sounded; the agent monitoring the vitals of all trainers scrambled to pull up the alert. In Merifos, trainers registered the pokeballs of their starters. The devices were capable of monitoring the vitals and sending the feedback to offices across the region. It was a system implemented to provide closure for relatives when trainers would vanish without a trace.

Most often it was a byproduct of the environment or a wild Pokémon that trainers met their end but that was only a small percentage, maybe one every seven to ten years or so. Registered trainers were public domain and media coverage would announce their death and offer a kind word about the trainer.

The agent pulled up the trainer identification card and sighed, this was a young one and was only out in the world for small period of time. She had just begun; this was going to be hard to break the news especially with a family like this one. First call was to emergency services in Briar Pointe to find they were already on call in the area responding to the same location. With a sigh, he pulled up the emergency contact for the trainer. This was the worst call to make and afterwards, he contacted the media with a list of info he had gleaned from the family. They readied the report and it would be on as an emergency announcement.

The emergency announcement alert came on notifying Otter and Fox of the need to tune in to the news. Though in separate parts of the country, they watched it together. A chill had crossed Fox's heart and he grew concerned. Zeke had returned declaring job done and no witnesses were left, yet the cold sense of dread had its clutches on him.

Otter had been getting ready for her match this afternoon when the alert had her scrambling in a panic for the recreation room of the trainer lodge. Growlithe, eevee and Precious were running behind her and she turned on the television; there weren't many other trainers in the room but they were all looking at the notice on their phones.

"Breaking news today and with heavy hearts we announce that a trainer has fallen. In what appears to be an act of professional sabotage, Rabbit Lagom was caught in the unintentional crossfire. The laboratory where she was meant to start working with her mentor was burnt to the ground by an unknown assailant.

Due to the nature of the fire appearing to be ignited by Pokémon, there was not much to recover from the wreckage. It hurts all of us to know that Miss Lagom had only started on her journey into adulthood. This is truly upsetting coming on the tail end of a stupendous victory.

Miss Lagom was going to be going into the field of Biological Studies and Trans Dimensional Energies and the loss of her potential contributions is staggering. Her family has asked for privacy, please do not visit; Miss Lagom's family wishes to have a service with immediate family only.

Let us take a moment of silence in honor of the fallen." The reporter bowed his head, his eyes damp from thinking of his own daughter and after a moment he raised his head, "As one last message to all trainers out there, please be safe and remember that your family expects you to come home."

Otter stared blankly at the screen trying to process what just happened, sensing an upset in their trainer her Pokémon clambered into her lap in a giant furry blanket. Putting her face into the fur of her persian's neck, Otter wept. Rabbit was gone, their plan for Borealis was also; the uncertainty of her future weighed on her and she couldn't handle it.

Any matches held today would have been postponed in honor of the dead. It was a wise decision as she couldn't guarantee that her attention would be fully on the matches and it could cause her Pokémon to get hurt. The gym leaders only wanted those who would be able to give all their attention to the fight.

Fox was struggling with the news; the Briar Pointe fiasco was his fault. His fault that Rabbit was gone and his fault because he should have monitored Zeke better though he had given the order to leave no witnesses behind. Fox wanted to break something, point his gyarados at something and have him burn everything to the ground.

Hank had left his boss' side letting him be. If the Prophets had left this world be as it was, his hand would never have been forced like this and he wouldn't be standing here with his heart tearing in half.

Are you okay? Fox sent in the group chat knowing only one person would respond.

…

…

No, do you know something about this? Otter sent back cutting straight for the truth.

Zeke was one of my men, I told him to leave no witnesses. We had been monitoring the professor, just didn't expect him to be in this morning; didn't know Rabbit would show up. Zeke came back and reported there were no witnesses left…

This is your fault…

I know; I'm still hoping for a miracle.

The only miracle we had was Rabbit and she's gone. Well done Fox.

Fox closed his phone, knowing Otter wasn't wrong. Thinking differently, he unlocked his phone. Finding the picture of Rabbit and her team he set it onto his background. Turning towards the map on his wall he considered a few things. Returning to his desk he pressed a button on the phone.

"Hank, come in here."

"Yes sir."

Hank took only a few moments but that was enough for Fox to have turned back towards the map on his wall. He stood alongside his boss quietly waiting for the young man to speak.

"Have we found their base of operations yet or do we even know what their end game is?" Fox breathed in deep to compose himself.

"We haven't actually found either yet, sir though we have people working their way into their circles. There are seven gyms that haven't been cleared as having no affiliation with the Prophets. The House has already dealt with the ones who were, the gym near Briar Pointe is one of those and Borealis City Gym is another. Do you want to dispatch any of the House to work on those gyms?" Hank wondered what Fox's reaction would be.

"No, I want as many of our team out trying to find these people. I will take care of the gyms myself. I need something to take my mind off of this." Fox ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"I am sorry for your loss, those young women from Matpa were pretty awesome."

"You don't even know the half of it. We need to deal with these Prophets of Renewal before someone else loses a child."

"Yes sir, I'll get the House on it right away." Hank left the room, leaving Fox to prepare for his next round of travels.

Fox grabbed the pack he always had ready and slipped it on. Heading outside to the Pokémon recreation area his team ran over to greet him. Dismissing the other members of the House, Fox stood stoically with a grim look on his face. Once everyone had gone he buried his face in ninetales fur and wept for his friend.

His Pokémon closed around him with gyarados slithering up and encircling the group as a whole. They sat huddled together until his tears had dried and his chest ached from the effort.

"Are you all ready to head out again?" Fox whispered pulling out the five pokeballs for his team. Sandshrew was the first to tap his pokeball and return to it until one by one, only venusaur and ninetales were left. "We'll make sure the Prophets take no one else away ever again."

Otter was eating dinner in a Pokémon friendly café with a small park and pond. She didn't feel much like eating but her Pokémon were already concerned for her and she needed to put on a brave face to keep them from worrying more. Lapras was in the nearby pond and rather than sit at one of the tables nearby, Otter sat on the shore of the pond itself. Growlithe was staring expectantly at her sandwich as he sat directly in front of her. Eevee and Precious were sitting on her left and right, indolent as they reclined using her as a pillow.

Again, I'm sorry for what happened. Where are you? Fox's message interrupted Otter's quiet thoughts.

"I don't care about your apologies; they won't bring Rabbit back. Why do you want to know? Otter shot back viciously.

I have a proposition that I wanted to ask you face to face. Fox's message suggested a lot more than Otter was expecting.

Pond Café and Park. When will you get in to Brill Harbor?

Is that your lapras?

My Lapras is in the pond, yes

A dragonite landed in a graceful spiraling loop leaving Fox momentarily disoriented as he nearly fell over after hopping off the Pokémon's back. Checking his pack and everything else, Fox left dragonite out. Venusaur and the rest of his team were let loose though he paused when he pulled out gyarados' pokeball.

"Do you mind if I bring out gyarados? I promise he won't eat your Pokémon." Fox always tried to be polite regarding his Pokémon. Many people did not always meet or see gyarados in a good light. Treated well and raised right through their maturation phase or caught wild and well cared for, gyarados was intensely loyal while also being extremely protective.

"As long as he doesn't give my Lapras any trouble, that's fine." Otter spoke in a cold clipped tone that Fox more than deserved.

He nodded and let gyarados loose, the Pokémon made a splash in the pond but did his best not to crowd the other Pokémon in the pond. Several other trainers had looked his way when the gyarados had come out as many of them had one or two Pokémon lounging by or in the large pond.

"I require your assistance with a project, would you be amenable to helping me with it?" Fox continued to be polite.

"That depends on what the project is and in what aspect I will be assisting." Otter snapped back.

"I need you to help me find out some information regarding members of seven gyms. We need to find out if the gyms are a front for the Prophets of Renewal and if they are, we need to signal my team to handle it." Fox explained, keeping his answer somewhat ambiguous.

"Your team, you want me to join them? A band of murderers and arsons?" Otter raised an eyebrow incredulously.

"The House of Valor is composed primarily of information gatherers. Those that do the less desirable jobs make up a small portion of our group, deeds that I myself have been forced to commit."

"Why do you even care about taking down these, Prophets, how did you even come across them and what happened to you?" Otter was taken aback learning that Fox engaged in some of the wet work.

"Last year, after my first defeat from a gym, I was approached by these men who referred to one another as Brother. They said I was part of the continued enslavement of Pokémon and I could convert or die with my Pokémon being released back into the wild.

That being said, I used to have a magnezone in my party, something that was shocking to see magneton undergo that transformation. It isn't something we see frequently here but in the match prior, magneton had been switched in to numerous electric attacks so it could absorb them without the others getting hurt.

That much power allowed its body to undergo the maturation phase that melded the magneton into one being instead of just being three magnemite stuck together.

I conceded the match as my other Pokémon were worn down and I couldn't risk them getting hurt. Magnezone alone wouldn't have been enough to get me through the next two matches. I sent it out to defend me as I disagreed quickly to the ideals they were spouting, they sent out a weezing and a golem. Weezing spewed out a smokescreen that obscured our battle from the public eye and I began to get worried.

Magnezone used some of its newfound strength and shoved me further away as it rushed the other two. As soon as it got close enough, it exploded triggering the other two and between the three Pokémons' explosion an entire city block went up in a flash of light which muted the sunset.

Magnezone had thrown me far enough clear that I wasn't badly injured. I quickly began networking after that and found others that had come across these, Prophets of Renewal or had lost family to this organization. Once we were large enough, they named the team after me, or partially.

They used part of my last name and we took on the moniker of The House of Valor and have been a thorn in the Prophets side for the last year.

They have begun their end game, something my people found out; we are still unclear as to what their end game is but we know it had something to do with Professor Shadbush's research. Zeke is one of our wet work specialists and he had mentioned seeing Rabbit when he first teleported in.

However, after he set the fire, Zeke said there weren't any witnesses left. We had not planned on either of them being there. That will always be on me, and I still have to face Rabbit's family which is what I intend to do when this is settled. Will you help me with this? I promise all you will ever need to do is act as an informant." Fox hoped she would say yes, some of the gyms on the list he had taken down before and wouldn't be able to challenge them again.

"For Rabbit, I will, she deserves that much. What do you want me to do?" Acting as an informant as Fox would say, seemed a bit overwhelming.

"At the end of your matches when the opponent usually chats with you, just slip into the conversation 'As dawn begins' and they should respond 'The sun will shine on a new world'. Even if they don't respond there will be a visible flinch or tell. Most will just nod that they heard you, now, your match tomorrow there is another trainer there in the morning slots and the lunch time slots I believe."

"As dawn begins, the sun will shine on a new world? What kind of slogan is that? Yes, by the way, there are two other trainers before me."

"Their slogan is a clue; it tells us that the Prophets of Renewal are looking to change the ways of the world. If they succeed here, they may move on to other regions. That is inexcusable and I cannot allow their poison to spread." Fox sneered at the thought of the Prophets even succeeding in one region.

"Does the House of Valor have a slogan and do these Prophets know of your interference?" Otter was curious despite her anger towards Fox.

"We do and they don't know of me, to them I'm just another cog in a broken system; someone else mentioned it, the others took hold of it and now whenever I try issuing orders to a fully gathered group there is a ton of shouting and stamping declaring 'In the Darkest Night, we are the Flame!' The way they look at me, I feel like we might wind up in a full-scale war between us. I doubt this country could handle a war between two rivals of our size."

"Well, Fox, I trust you will find a way to keep that from escalating as long as possible." Otter despite everything gave him a weak smile that seemed to lighten his heart.

"So, should I meet you at the gym tomorrow?"

"No, please, stick around; we can talk about Rabbit and drink to her memory."

They spent the day reminiscing of their shared childhood experiences and the last year that Fox had been away. Tears had been shed by them both but that was only natural and to be expected. After the café closed for the evening they wandered back to the trainer's lodge for light sparring matches in their gym.

Fox was relegated to only a few of his Pokémon as the gym at this lodge did not quite have the room to handle dragonite or gyarados. During a cooldown jog around the track with their Pokémon after the play matches, Otter had a thought.

"If your people take down a gym leader and their students for being affiliated with these Prophets, how do they not immediately single out who told their secret?"

"We try to aim for high volume days, like tomorrow when there are two other before you. The nice things about gyms is that multiple challengers can be scheduled in one day. As a gym leader and a student of the gym leader, you have license to capture up to eighteen Pokémon.

A gym at any given point has seventy-two Pokémon in total combined between the trainers, each student can technically handle six trainers by themselves." Fox explained.

"I never actually knew that about gyms, then again I never wanted to open one myself. Maybe I can do that when I head back to Matpa Town and along with my responsibilities as a breeder." Otter mused, thinking about having eighteen Pokémon to care for along with the family business.

"There is a lot of work that goes into it, licenses and insurance forms longer than a lickitung's tongue. Then you need to get sponsorship from the location you're choosing because someone is going to need to front the cost of building the gym, plus there's also registering it with the Merifos government.

I thought about it until this whole Prophets mess started then I realized I had greater things to handle first before I could settle down."

"Would you open a gym; I mean after all this is done with?" Otter inquired breathing heavily as they jogged.

"I see it as a far-off dream that I may someday get back around to. It would be nice to build back up to it though. I hadn't even considered what my gym badge would be. I would run a true medley gym though; we only have two of those." Fox mused breathing easier than Otter.

They went off to their separate rooms to get cleaned off and ready for the next day. The thought of running a gym weighing heavily on Fox's mind. Otter had unearthed something he had thought long buried and would never get around to considering again. Otter on the other hand was thinking back on the fact she was, as the oldest, set to inherit the family business. She didn't enjoy the thought as much as she used to, Fox had tainted her view of the world and showed her the dark cracks in the system that bred ill contented people.

Despite these thoughts, both found it easy to get to sleep. The morning alarm came quickly and Otter made sure her outfit was presentable; no good would come of looking slovenly. Since challengers were allowed to wait in the gym for their match to start, they would head early and scope out the competition.

It was a water type gym and would prove a decent first gym for Otter as she had no effective typing against it. As they were leaving, a courier approached them as they walked down the steps.

"Sir, I have that package you requested." The courier greeted Fox like an employee and he nodded at him, taking the package. Taking the box from the courier they watched as he released a massive fearow and hopped onto her back before taking off into the sky.

"What is that Fox?"

"Please don't assume me to be presumptuous; I took the liberty of combing through the pokéshelters all over Merifos for these two since the last time I saw you. I remembered you had mentioned them and we own two safe havens for abandoned or Pokémon that have outlived their trainers. I remember you told me once what your ideal team was and I have the last two for you."

"I would have preferred to have caught them wild, earning their respect that way but, if they need a good home then I will give them such a place. Let's run them out while we're waiting for our match. Do you know what moves either of them know?" Otter had conflicting emotions regarding this gift but if he had found them both in the shelter then she couldn't fault him that.

"Fantastic, I have books on both species, we can see what moves both know when we get to the gym." Fox looked excited.

They set off into town for the gym, lapsing into silence as they walked. Fox hoped this would be enough to give her an advantage. Both of these Pokémon had the potential to know or learn an array of moves. After an easy twenty-minute walk they came upon the Brill Harbor Gym, an outdoor arena there would be no choosing for terrain advantages; it was two thirds open water and one third dry land, the reception hall and other parts of the operation were indoors but most challengers going for type advantage would be forced to battle from the sandy shore.

"You beat this team with ivysaur and magnemite alone didn't you?" Otter watched Fox trace his fingers over the plaque that held his name, a sad smile tugging at his face.

"It was my first match with magnemite and bublbasaur's first after budding into an ivysaur. I had sandshrew but of course, I couldn't actually bring him out though he should be going through his maturation phase soon. Such a lengthy maturation cycle with their species but worth it in the long run. Within the next few months his claws should lengthen, the plates on his back will grow into points and stand on end, and he will lose some of his chubbiness from his youth. Sandshrew has been on edge lately which tells me this will be a process that happens sooner than later." Fox distracted himself from the nostalgia with facts that would lead to happier ends.

"I had noticed that in our sparring last night, some of sandshrew's scales were rising up to a point. You're probably right with your guess, I think he will be quite amazing given how strong your little sandshrew already is. Come on, lets head in and we can get started with my new Pokémon." Otter pulled him on in to reception to find out where they needed to go.

Spending the next six hours working and bonding with her new Pokémon, they watched the prior two matches get swept under by the tidal onslaught of the gym leader's students. The students were relentless in their attack and Otter would have to match their fury with her own.

Fox was concerned as this gym had been a hard-fought match for his two Pokémon with an advantage. Otter though constantly continued to impress Fox, he had known she was good with Pokémon having known her most of his life but the speed by which she earned the trust of her new Pokémon was astounding. This was bound to be a good round for the spectators at home regardless of who she chose to start with.

The trainer's boxes were set quite a distance apart, the students' was set over the water with a series of flat, circular stones leading up to it. There was a microphone set next to the screen and tray where the trainers stood. The first of the students, Jasper, was already waiting having not left from the round before. He was tapping his foot impatiently waiting for Otter to approach. Fox sat in the spectator's seat in the trainer's box and watched as she carefully chose which Pokémon to set out.

"My name, as I am certain you already know, is Jasper. Are you ready to begin this match?" He introduced himself brusquely.

"My name is Otter, I woke as dawn began today and thought heavily about this. I wanted to dedicate this to my dear friend Rabbit who passed away recently." She introduced with the open phrase.

"I am sorry for your loss; the sun will shine on her new world." Jasper's words came off a little too quick for her though still sounding sincere.

Fox coughed from behind, he was always luckiest when he was with his friends, that was a little too close to the phrase for comfort. He sent Hank a message letting him know they had a hit in Brill Harbor.

We've got an operative in the area, go through with the matches as normal and we'll continue from there boss.

Keep this as clean as possible, we seem to be going into the end game on this and the House of Valor cannot afford to be found out yet. Fox reminded.

Yes sir. Heard and understood. Hank kept his texts polite, knowing the strain his boss was under.

Otter looked back at Fox annoyed that he was on his phone but she suspected what he was doing. The referee announced the rules as per the norm and the news anchor on site gave his spiel. The man was definitely not as good as the news anchor that covered Rabbit's match but, it was something for the viewers at home.

Jasper, after the referee dropped his flag, released his Pokémon straight into the water and Otter didn't quite catch what the Pokémon was. Picking up lapras' pokeball, she whispered to her before releasing lapras into the water. She floated gently on the water looking back at Otter, receiving the nod from her trainer she dove underwater after taking a deep breath to find her opponent.

The water was an open book to her and with an echoing voice she hunted for the location of her hiding opponent. A swift moving shadow in the water sped past her, evading lapras' voice. Even avoiding the echoing call told her what she needed. Lapras banked towards the movement searching, releasing another echo she caught the image of a webbed leg moving quickly.

Anticipating where her opponent would dart next, Lapras cut through the water and slammed into her opponent with the full weight of her body. An explosion of bubbles burst from his mouth as the air was driven from his lungs.

Otter watched as a golduck broke the surface of the water and sped for the beach under the trainer's box. Catching his breath, the golduck stared at the cove angrily, he didn't like being driven out of his environment. Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind, the gem on his forehead flashing red. The water rippled as waves of psychic energy pawed at it. The energy manifested in little red shards above the water before shooting down into it, seeking his opponent.

Protecting herself with psychic energy of her own, lapras poked her head out of the water for a breath. Reflexively Otter put her hands over her ears given the number of sounds that Lapras could produce that were harmful.

The song she sang lulled her enemy to sleep and Lapras used more of her psychic energy stealing the dreams of golduck until he collapsed on the beach. Jasper recalled his Pokémon and sent out another Pokémon quickly.

Otter, switched Lapras out; keeping all her Pokémon healthy would ensure the match stayed in her favor.

Red lights danced and flashed under the surface, bobbing underneath Jasper's trainer box. Guessing what the red lights meant, Otter sent out her kangaskhan which stood nearly as tall as the trainer box. She was caught shortly after her child had left her pouch leaving her a perfect target for a trainer but someone probably didn't think through what care she would need.

Kangaskhan growled menacingly moving lightly despite her large size cautiously towards the water. A ball of sludge shot from the water, hampered by the resistance of breaking the surface, kangaskhan was able to dodge it easily despite it exploding like a bomb.

Tentacles shot free of the water and wrapped around kangaskhan's limbs and body; pulled the immense Pokémon towards the water, she dug in her heels resisting but still leaving furrows as she was inexorably tugged closer.

Turning the tide, kangaskhan began pulling back. Slowly she began dragging the Pokémon from the water and with a solid yank, tentacruel came flying out of the water. With a punch that left her opponent dizzy, the tentacles loosened and kangaskhan rumbled in delight as the tentacruel splashed back into the water. After a few moments to recover, a storm of poisonous stingers flew out from the water, the few that struck home only went as deep as the thick armor like hide of Otter's Pokémon would permit.

The strong afternoon sunlight was rapidly absorbed into kangaskhan, with an angry bellow she unleashed a solar charged beam of light that set the water in the cove arena boiling profusely. The glowing red lights of tentacruel made it an easy target and the attack did not miss. Steam rose from the surface creating a dense fog before the wind carried it off.

Jasper withdrew his Pokémon; Otter looked up at the scoreboard and smirked seeing the three to one score still in her favor.

"Hey, don't get cocky Otter, most trainers will leave their strongest Pokémon to go last as a cleanup crew. I do it sometimes, Hank despite what you saw of him, does it all the time and most of the gym leaders I have fought have done it.

You still have three Pokémon available but it doesn't mean you have the advantage yet. Kangaskhan is going to need a moment after that attack, not long but enough." Fox whispered to her bringing a little bit of tarnish to her victory so far.

"Thanks Fox, how about a well done next time?" Otter snipped back quietly but she took his advice and brought back kangaskhan.

She watched as Jasper released a truly impressive looking red gyarados that took up most of the arena. Taken aback by the ferocious roar of the beast, Otter steeled herself and sent in Precious. The gyarados was intimidating but the Persian gazed upon his opponent with a haughty look of disdain.

The red gem on his forehead flashed with power and struck gyarados but the large Pokémon shrugged off the attack. Gyarados surged forward and in a massive wave of water, swept his tail across the beach. With claws out, Otter's Persian latched on and scrambled up the coils of gyarados that were exposed. Nimble and graceful, Precious bristled and electricity filled the air. A bolt of lightning struck gyarados on the crest, summoned by the persian down upon his opponent's head.

Swinging its head, gyarados tried to dislodge Otter's Pokémon but he could not be dissuaded. Outraged, Jasper's Pokémon dove beneath the surface of the water and with an impressive leap, Precious lackadaisically landed on the beach; he groomed his paws without a care in the world just trying to get the damp off of them.

The sand was stuck in his fur as well and he was unamused. Glancing back at Otter, the smile from her bolstered his spirits; with a huff, he began heating the air rapidly with the static that was pouring off of him. Clouds began to form overhead, thunder rolling like a cacophonous symphony. Otter opened an umbrella as the first drops of rain began to fall. Fox merely put his electronics in a waterproof case and ensured his pack was sealed tight.

Gyarados still had yet to resurface and the great red beast was contemplating his next move. He was facing a dangerous opponent and Jasper's Pokémon could see activity from where he hid below the surface. Precious was still causing the air to churn and rallying for his next attack.

Gyarados gathered energy in his maw and barely breaking the surface turned the destructive beam of hyperactive energy upon the shore. Dodging the sweep of the attack, Precious unleashed a torrential cascade of lightning that struck gyarados; each one collided with stunning accuracy from the storm he had summoned.

Roaring in agony, gyarados couldn't act quick enough after the discharge of his last attack. Jasper watched his Pokémon carefully but all things appeared to show that he was still capable of fighting.

With an icy breath, the gyarados made the storm worse and the persian's fur went from damp to soaked. The battle between these two had turned into an elemental mess and the waves crashed into the shore ripping away at it. Gyarados caused a twister and rather than aiming it at Precious, shot the attack right for the trainer's box.

The referee could be heard shouting at Jasper, disqualifying him as no attacks should ever be aimed at the trainer. Precious ran for it, charging up as he ran; letting fly with a hyperactive beam of energy himself, he shot it straight through the twister.

The heat and energy of the attack dispersed the twister, striking through it and pummeling gyarados into the surf. Such was the vitriolic fury of the attack, gyarados was pushed back and slammed into his trainer's box. The energies displaced the storm above and the sun began to peak out again.

Jasper dove into the water as his Pokémon crashed into the box. He caught the pokeballs as they fell into the water, Jasper withdrew his gyarados and began swimming back for the ladder out of the harbor.

Precious dodged the return beam to his pokeball and instead jumped into the trainer box with Otter. He purred when Otter took a towel from her bag and began drying him off. Precious was happy to see his trainer unharmed and didn't even give Fox a dirty look when the other trainer helped look him over for any possible injury.

"The home trainer had lost control of his Pokémon! The match was forfeited in Otter's favor the moment an attack was sent at the trainer's box." The referee declared.

"Well done, Otter, I apologize for my Pokémon's behavior. Given the damage to the home field trainer box, we will have to utilize the secondary arena. Please see the receptionist and she can point you where to go." Jasper nodded.

Fox congratulated Otter on the win and they left with Precious walking serenely alongside them. The receptionist walked them to a stadium sized, artificial grotto where it was clearly the home of the gym's Pokémon in residence when not in their pokeballs. Many, with the exception of Jasper's three from the last match were lounging with the other two students. The gym leader was there as well; she and the referee were having a heated discussion about the last match.

Nora hadn't seen the match but had been given a recounting, not enough to know her opponent's strategy but enough to learn her strength. The gym leader wasn't arguing with the ruling, more about the fact that the referee let the match go on as long as it did there at the end.

Given the skill with which Otter's Pokémon had fought, she could have won on points alone. Seeing Fox and Otter walk in, Nora gave them a wave and departed leaving them to the matches to come. The next two matches were hard fought for Otter but she persevered through it all; her Pokémon were easily patched up at the Pokémon center. Tomorrow, the true battle would begin.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

Fox left her after dinner but she decided to creep behind him, Otter's curiosity getting the better of her; she tailed him with eevee in tow across town from the trainer's lodge. They were heading back towards Brill Harbor Gym, Fox held back though, staying out of sight of the gym. Otter held well out of his range of vision also well hidden. Both of them had years of practice hiding all over Matpa Town with Rabbit from when they were kids playing hide and seek.

It was an event that when they became teenagers they took even more serious. Something that Rabbit took great pride in, she was the best of them; while Otter and Fox could meld with the landscape, she took it a step further, vanishing into her surroundings like she never existed. Otter shook her head, clearing her thoughts from the nostalgia.

She could pick out Fox, but to someone without half of their experience they would never know he was there. Fox waited until Nora and her students left the building, after which he pulled a can of spray paint and a stencil from his pack. Otter couldn't see what the stencil was but she suspected it was something to tell the others of The House this gym was possibly a sympathizer or worse for the Prophets.

Fox satisfied over his work began stalking after those from the gym. Otter followed but only after a brief pause looking at the stencil. It was of a howling arcanine in a circle of fire stenciled in blue. She pondered it a moment longer before they took off after Fox. Otter could no longer see those from the gym but she could still see Fox and they wandered a circuitous route across Brill Harbor before walking past a movie theatre the others had ducked into.

The marquee stated that it was closed for a private event and Fox paid no mind to the theatre as if he held no concern of it. Otter cut down the alley after the theatre with her pokedex out as if she were looking for something nearby. Fox had already turned the block ahead of her possibly circling around to come up the alley.

Pulling eevee back into the pokeball, Otter found a hiding place between the refuse bins and she heard soft footsteps approaching. These were human, she could tell the difference between the pitter patter of ratatta feet and hoped it was Fox, otherwise she would have to come up with a cover.

"If you wanted to tag along on surveillance duties, you could have just asked. Come on, up the fire escape with me. Hiding amongst the refuse, we're not savages you know." Fox chided before scampering lightly up the fire escape making only the barest hint of noise.

Otter followed suit and they pulled themselves onto a bare roof top apart from the usual accompaniments of the location. He let out ninetales who, with a hex, unlocked the roof access door. They crept down into the building neither of them talking at this point. They could hear murmurs from below them somewhere.

Moving towards the source, they found a door that led to a catwalk overhead from where it was originating. The theatre was full, Nora and her students were on stage next to a daunting man in a crisp, white suit. He paced back and forth across the stage waiting for the murmurs of the gathered to stop. When they didn't, he cleared his throat, not loudly but the people in the theatre jumped.

"We had a set back with Briar Pointe yesterday but we were able to obtain a colleague of Professor Shadbush's from the Sinnoh region and we should be back on track. Though it may be three weeks before the good professor will be with us. We are moving her discreetly, given the predilections and rumors surrounding Giovanni of Kanto, we want to make absolutely certain that no one hears of this. We Prophets will cleanse the old world and herald in a new one.

I just wanted to gather you here today to spread the word that the Prophets of Renewal will keep our promise. The government of Merifos is trying to suppress our gospel but go out, find trainers like yourselves and bring them into the flock. We need Prophets to guide the survivors and those of you here will be those Prophets." The man wasn't speaking with a microphone but he projected loud enough to be heard.

"And what of those Prophets that have disappeared? Do you think the government or Giovanni has found out about us?" Nora spoke up from the stage.

"We have kept the movement of our word as discreet as possible and our real goals under wraps enough that the government assumes us an assembly of nutcases; they only seek to suppress our 'propaganda' and Giovanni is dealing with enough pressure on his end he hasn't been able to turn his attention on Merifos. No, those that have disappeared have revoked the gospel of the Prophets of Renewal. They have, I would guess, gone to ground in an attempt to avoid the Prophets' wrath." The man explained.

Fox was taking pictures while the man was speaking and he tapped Otter wordlessly, motioning for her to follow him out. As they were leaving Fox was sending messages along to Hank and Zeke both with pictures of the man and describing what they had witnessed. When they got back to the roof, rather than risk the fire escape again, Fox released dragonite.

Despite the twilight that had fallen Fox still had dragonite rush straight up into the cover of the clouds preferring not to risk discovery. Flying off to woods near the lodge they were both staying in, dragonite landed easily and they discreetly returned to their rooms after checking on Otter's Pokémon at the attached Pokémon Center though they didn't stay in their rooms for long.

Venusaur was sitting under a sun lamp in one corner of the room and they both rested on the grassy knoll against the flank of Fox's Pokémon.

"What did they mean about Giovanni being a concern? I though the Kanto government said Team Rocket was disbanded at some point." Otter saw Fox prepare to answer her but a familiar looking man interrupted them.

"Excuse me, may I let out my grass Pokémon here and join you for a pleasant evening of bragging about our Pokémon?"

"That depends, are you burning the midnight oil?" Fox responded.

"Only with a candle from both ends." The familiar man responded.

"Otter, this is Hank, you two have met already."

"You! The man who looked and smelled like drunken hobo? That was you?" Otter was incredulous, the man before her, while still having long hair was clean and meticulously groomed.

"One and the same, I only let myself go that far for the disguise which included the Pokémon you saw me with. This is my partner." Hank released a torterra that nearly rivalled venusaur in size.

"You're from Sinnoh! I've read about these torterras but never thought I would get an opportunity to meet one face to face." Otter turned towards the Pokémon's head and gave a bow.

She waited for Hank's Pokémon to nod back at her. When he finally did, Otter gave the muzzle of the torterra a good scratching that had his eyes closed and crooning with delight.

"I am, thank you for knowing the proper courtesy for a Pokémon like torterra. Not many people here do and many get rebuked by him for their ignorance." Hank smiled.

"You are most welcome; I actually think the match may have gone differently had you used this guy in our match." Otter realized she was gushing.

"I still think you would have given us a run for our money. Your Pokémon even young, were still quite strong. I think torterra would have been hard pressed for the win. Those three you fought by the way, were loaners from another trainer in the House of Valor."

"Yo! My midnight oil is burning a candle at either ends or however you want to call it. Can my charizard and I sit with you?" A wiry man with a crazed look in his eyes interrupted.

"Zeke, nice of you to join us, I wanted to ask you a few questions more about Briar Pointe." Fox greeted less than enthusiastically.

"Of cou-" Zeke hadn't even finished his statement before Otter had turned around and slugged him square in the face, falling backwards he landed heavily on his rump and looked up in awe. "I may have deserved that, I like her Fox, is she joining The House?"

"Your work in Briar Pointe caused that, and no I don't think she will be though that is still up to her." Fox hid his smirk quickly lest Otter turn her temper on him.

"Oh, well alright," Zeke let out charizard before bringing out a bag of marshmallows, graham crackers and chocolate. "What do you want to know about Briar Pointe?"

"You told me there weren't any witnesses, describe in detail to me about that night we sent you there." Fox guiltily took some marshmallows from Zeke as Otter stared in gape mouthed shock at him.

"I teleported in right as that girl-" Zeke tapered off as Otter glowered at him. She wanted him to use her name and for the life of him he couldn't remember it despite seeing the report on the television. Started with an 'r', what was that damn name, "I mean of course, Rabbit specifically, we teleported in and the Professor was already dead; she was calling emergency services. We came in and there was a gengar protecting the girl; we torched the rest of the place and when we approached the office the door was closed.

When we opened it, Rabbit was gone and we just assumed she had gotten out until we saw the news the other day. Of the people that I have been assigned, an innocent woman like Rabbit was the only one I've felt guilty over. I just didn't know how it happened, I know sometimes when I'm having my Pokémon torch a place I go into these fugues and black out."

"Do you think you may have blocked something out from that night?" Fox prompted.

"I hope my mind isn't protecting me but there is no other explanation as to where she's gone." Zeke gave a sigh; his marshmallow had burnt to nothing over his charizard's tail but he just grabbed another,

"Ma'am, please accept my deepest apologies, I never wanted anyone other than the Prophets to get hurt."

"That takes any hope of a miracle away from us. I accept your apology but I doubt I will ever forgive you Zeke." Otter was the only one not roasting marshmallows or s'mores over the fire Pokémon's tail but she could not share a snack with a man like Zeke.

"Hank, we know what Professor Shadbush was studying; what is in your homeland that the Prophets of Renewal could possibly want?" Fox's answer was muffled by marshmallows but still intelligible.

"The three dragons of Sinnoh; Dialga of time, Palkia of space, and Giratina of the Distortion World: The Professor they're looking for or have kidnapped specializes in ancient lore and technology with a focus on the Reverse World. Apart from that, I know nothing else or can correctly theorize why they would want her." Hank grimaced.

"Those dragons control that much power?" Otter had read the stories but they were still incredulous sounding to this day.

"And the one who created them was said to have given birth to the whole universe that we know." Hank finished another s'more as he talked.

"So where does Giovanni play into all of this?"

"It was theorized that there were other organizations across the world who had grandiose ideas of taking the world and remaking it in their image. Two teams from Hoenn almost destroyed the world fourteen years ago about six years after he was imprisoned for 'terrorist actions', after the Hoenn Incident though he was released under mysterious circumstances and has gone to ground. There are plenty of rumors that Giovanni has been quietly manipulating everyone to keep any one team from rising to power. I think we can use that to our advantage though; the leader of Team Rocket is like a bogeyman in someone's closet for any organizations like the Prophets of Renewal." Zeke explained having come from that region for a new start after the trial of his former employer.

"Zeke, Hank, who do we have that can watch any smuggling lanes and shipping lanes coming out of Sinnoh?" Fox was creating another s'more as he awaited their answer.

"There are a few submersibles that we can obtain, an oceanographers' fleet in our back pocket. We have a handful of teams that we can call up as well to monitor specific sectors of the oceans. This will stretch us thin as it is but I think we can manage. How are we going to get someone in on the inside though?" Hank asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

"I can work with Nora and her students, I already gave them the key phrase; they probably already think I'm one of them." Otter suggested.

"I like the idea but, consider that if we get you in based off of the key phrase, you're starting from the bottom. I don't know if we're going to have that kind of time." Zeke countered.

"Zeke, you have a point, we need to play on their sympathy; I have an idea but this is not going to be pleasant for me." Fox groaned at the thought.

"The look on your face tells me none of us are going to find this pleasant in the least. What do you need from us?" Hank passed a s'more to Otter who had finally relented.

"Otter and I are going to her match against the gym leader tomorrow; while we're there gather any operatives from the surrounding area. Zeke, I think you understand what I need from the other operatives."

"What is he talking about Zeke, Hank?"

"Fox is talking about playing the sympathy note. Give the Prophets a poster boy for their propaganda." Hank took a guess.

"It's almost as if we are in a gang, one exit beating on order sir. We're just going to apologize now." Zeke realized he sounded too enthusiastic and mumbled a second apology sheepishly.

"What am I supposed to do in all of this?" Otter saw that of the plans so far, she had not been included in them.

"The list of gyms I gave you, find out whose side they're on and if they're unaffiliated, get them on our side. Hank, get Otter a breeder's license, I need someone to care for my other four Pokémon. That is the most important thing to do and if you happen to need one of them for a gym battle, then they should respond to you.

Just spend some time with them before you try and command them. Last thing, Otter is in charge; let the rest of the House know as well." Fox let out the rest of his Pokémon after that, the tone in his voice told them that after tonight they wouldn't see him for a while.

Zeke and Hank went off to prepare for after the battle, neither of them fond of what they were about to do. Otter and Fox stayed up a little longer after that, spending a somber evening in with their Pokémon. When the day broke the next morning, it was on old friends weighed down by the choices they were forced to make.

Otter was apprehensive and it trickled down to her Pokémon. When the gym battle against Nora started, her Pokémon fidgeted and took a few attacks they should otherwise have been able to avoid. Otter took a deep breath, focusing only on the match before her and she gave a whistle calming her Pokémon who were soon able to rally their spirits into a gargantuan battle.

Fox looked on with pride as she valiantly pitted her Pokémon against Nora's but soon the gym leader began pushing back and her last Pokémon wound up being a blastoise. Despite the advantage Otter had taken, Nora took it right back leaving Otter with just kangaskhan and Precious nursing an injury.

The fight between kangaskhan and blastoise left the arena scarred from the onslaught of their battle leaving both trainers exhausted from the stress of the fight. Otter's win was a huge event, many trainers taking on a gym for the first time rarely succeeded in their matches completely and Fox whooped nearly as loudly as Otter did; as many in various establishments and homes did as well.

Nora grinned widely, she was happy for the newcomer but there was something about Fox she wanted to know.

"Fox, tomorrow, come back and visit; I wish to talk of what you've gotten into since last we spoke. I have seen many of your matches and I wish to discuss your strategies. Tea, tomorrow afternoon, leave Otter behind; I am certain she will understand about old friends catching up." Nora said holding Fox back by the arm after she had spoken with Otter who was already on her way out.

"Tomorrow afternoon around one then?" Fox agreed.

"Splendid! I look forward to it." Nora gave him a hug before he jogged out to catch up with Otter.

We have another day to prepare, I'm going in for tea with the gym leader at one. Fox messaged Hank.

Perfect, we're still wrapping up here. The response came back.

"Otter, after today we probably won't see each other. At least not for a little while, we'll meet up in Borealis and take down the gym in Rabbit's honor. That list I gave you, adhere to it and I look forward to hearing about your journey the next time we see each other." Fox had a hard time smiling but he managed one for Otter.

"Borealis, of course." Otter responded weakly.

"Hank will call you when this is over. Take care of my Pokémon and they'll take care of you." Fox patted the tray of four pokeballs.

"I promise I will. See you in Borealis."

Otter watched Fox walk upstairs and out of the lodge minus his pack with venusaur at his side. She hated how this felt but she knew it had to be done; it was for the greater good though that didn't mean she had to like it. She shot Hank a message letting him know Fox was on the way.

Fox patted venusaur's pokeball as he walked with a feigned jauntiness that helped ease his mind a little. He whistled an old tune as he walked quickly for Brill Harbor Gym and try as he might, this afternoon weighed on him in the back of his head.

Fox's steps grew heavy and slower as he approached, trudging as the building began to loom closer. A pair of men in black uniforms blocked the entrance to the gym. Fox reached for his pokeball but was sent reeling by a fist to the side of his head. He hit the ground hard and his pokeball rolled just out of reach. More footsteps could be heard running up and Fox struggled to rise in greeting.

More fists and boots thudded into him, the beating continuing until he blacked out. The uniforms were chanting something but Fox couldn't quite understand it. A blast of water surged over the people in black uniforms. They rushed off having been discovered, leaving Fox's broken body outside the gym.

Nora's students held back and called emergency services as she ran up to check on Fox. He was struggling to open his phone and Nora plucked it from his hands, noticing Fox had managed to unlock it. She seized on the opportunity and found Otter's contact information; with a grin Nora began typing.

Go ahead and leave Brill Harbor, I will catch up to you later. Nora as Fox sent out.

Be safe Fox, see you in a while Otter responded.

Otter looked at the message that had been sent directly to her instead of their usual group chat. Nora had taken the bait it looked like and was not as good of a person as most would think. Otter chuckled over that before pulling up Hank's number.

It appears to have begun, how are things on your side?

We're soaked and hating ourselves right now but yes, I believe you're right. Nora has Fox now he has his mission, you have yours, we have ours and the breeder license should be in by the time you reach the next city. Hank's message filled her with a grim determination.

Sir, we have a situation, are you still in Brill Harbor? Nora messaged her boss.

I am, where should I meet you?

Brill Harbor General, Fox is being admitted to the intensive care unit there.

THE Fox? The one that's been showing such promise over the last year?

Yes Sir, that one.

Be there soon. Nora's boss responded before she left him alone until the hospital.

Nora followed behind the ambulance not wanting to be late to the meeting with her boss. He was a patient man and wasn't perturbed by being left waiting but most of his employees preferred not to test his limits. Nora watched as they carted Fox inside and she saw her boss watching the procession.

"Nora, to what do I owe these summons?"

"Fox was beaten by Team Rocket and they took all but one of his Pokémon. They were chanting something but we only heard it muffled from inside. I think Giovanni is on the move once more." Nora looked nervous and understandably so.

"This is a situation; if he truly is on the move once more, we will need to keep our heads down but with all our sources looking for Team Rocket. If Giovanni has set up shop here, there will be more cases of trainers having all but their starter Pokémon stolen.

That is a clever decision on their part. Can't have the agency suddenly have an alert that something is wrong in Merifos. Thank you for letting me know Nora, please return to your gym, I hear there are a handful of trainers coming to register with you today. I will keep by Fox's side until he wakes up." Her boss dismissed her.

"Yes sir, do you think he'll join us after this?"

"I think the probability of having a trainer of his quality joining us is high after an incident like this. The only thing he has left in this world is his venusaur; I had his lodge room checked and his pack is gone as well. I see no other option for him than to join us; we will accept him with arms open and we will ensure that he feels integral. Though, in all fairness, I doubt Fox will be out of that hospital bed anytime soon." He looked back at the double doors that the trainer had been rushed through.

"Thank you sir, have a great day." Nora shook his hand before heading back outside for the parking lot.

Registering with the nurse at the counter, he sat and waited until someone came to let him know when Fox was out of surgery. He needed to see and speak with the trainer, see if anything else was known or if he had seen any more. That cursed Giovanni, popping up where he didn't belong.

Kanto needed to keep their criminals in check but after that Hoenn incident with those idiots trying to reshape the world, he had vanished. Other regions had reported an influence tampering with their plans and he would not be amongst those regions that had fallen. He and the Prophets of Renewal could cleanse the whole world and if there was a problem with the first plan, they had a backup one that could cleanse Merifos at the least. They would tighten security in their ranks, they could unleash both plans if they were well prepared.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

It took half a month before Fox was able to get out of bed, his team had done an extensive number on him leaving him with a host of serious injuries. Much of that time had been spent in the twilight of pain medication leaving him a poor conversationalist for the man Nora had directed to the hospital. That same man had left a few times but had always come back to check in on Fox. Thankfully the only matches he missed were other challengers and not Otter's next gym battle.

Otter could have taken the train to the next gym but instead chose to take the Bike Line east, camping out on the days she couldn't get to a Trainers' Lodge. She preferred staying in the woods most days as without the breeder's permit, she was not allowed to have more than six Pokémon. It meant she couldn't let Fox's Pokémon out to romp at least not under the prying gaze of the world at large.

The first few days for his Pokémon after they had left Brill Harbor were rough for all of them. Gyarados was surly, dragonite was moping, sandshrew was despondent and ninetales remained aloof; it complicated things but eventually they grew to trust each other though not yet completely liking her.

Otter's growlithe and eevee were growing at a surprising rate along with sandshrew. When they finally got to the next city at the end of May, her growlithe had grown nearly as tall as she was and eevee's fur had gone a bright hay colored blonde. Sandshrew had become even pricklier and was approaching the completion of his maturation phase.

Otter entered the Pokémon center of Norwick City to retrieve her mail. The breeder license was the only thing waiting for her and with a quick message, Otter let Hank know she had received it.

Glad to hear, we had to hospitalize a few more of our people; our insiders apart from Fox are saying the Prophets of Renewal are spooked. We never caught any shipments from Sinnoh but our Johto operatives said there have been a number of tyranitar rampages across the region. None of us know what to make of it though. Hank updated her.

Are their Pokémon being well cared for? That still puts us no closer to understanding why and what their need for Professor Manchineel of Sinnoh is though. Given her specialties, that could be a fair bit of anything. Otter's finger tapped on the side of her phone. Zeke sent that "pokeball box" to the Trainers Lodge right?

Watched him do it myself. Should be there waiting for you. Hank let her know.

Gotta go, catching up to Zeke so we can take the report from one of our operatives. A second message came in following the one before it quickly.

Let me know what they have to say. I'm heading over to the gym next, then to the lodge; keep me posted.

Otter got up from the bench when the nurse called her over to retrieve her Pokémon. Otter took the tray from the nurse and thanked her. As she was exiting the facility, she heard the nurse call out.

"We hope to see you again."

Otter double checked her map and headed northeast for the Norwick City Gym to see what she would be facing for a challenge. Within the last year, the city had opened a gym and the almanacs had yet to be updated. She pedaled quickly, humming to herself as she rode on.

The city was set up in sequential squares making it easy to find her way and when she found the gym, only two plaques had been filled with names none of them being Fox's. It made Otter smile knowing she would take a gym before Fox did, though from what she had heard it would be a while before he would be up to taking a gym.

Otter registered her and the Pokémon she had with her at the front office of the gym. Given the typing of this gym, it would prove to be a rather unique challenge.

Fox turned on the news for the evening looking forward to seeing what trainers were going to be registering with the gyms today. He was getting antsy sitting still for so long, thankfully the hospital was letting Fox out when the man he was spying on for the House of Valor was around. The same man who showed up during the announcements of the challenger registrations for the day.

Fox held up a finger to his lips keeping the man's greeting stifled till after the announcements were done.

"Ro, welcome back to my humble abode."

"Shall we take a stroll Fox? I think your venusaur is anxious to see you again. You're going to be released from the hospital in a few days, any idea of what you plan on doing once you get out?" Ro offered Fox a hand getting out of bed.

Fox grabbed his cane from the bedside rack as he swung his legs out of bed. Once he was done with this task, he was going to give Hank and Zeke an earful. The doctors said he was going to be stuck with a limp for a long time. Fox put on a thick robe, carefully balancing and Ro guided him from the room. Through long, sterile halls they walked in silence and it took a few moments to get to the garden.

When they got there, venusaur extended a few vines and carefully picked Fox up bringing him towards the sun warmed flank of his Pokémon. She rumbled happily when her trainer settled comfortably against the trunk of the flower on her back.

"Do you have an answer to my question yet Fox?" Ro asked.

"I think venusaur and I will join you, at least for you to show us the operation and why you want something different for the world. After that, I think we are going to track down Team Rocket and take back our Pokémon or at the least make them pay for their thievery." Fox only partially feigned the ruthlessness by which he spoke.

"Think of it though, as a Prophet of Renewal, you could have an opportunity to take revenge on a far broader scale; against the system that failed you and the people who took something so dear from you. Above and beyond that, the Prophets can change the world." Ro spoke fervently thinking of his vision.

"Come back in a few days to retrieve me and we can start our work together. I want some time by myself with venusaur tonight." Fox was looking up at the sky above watching the clouds pass by.

"Of course, I will see you at the end of the week." Ro left him in the garden to his own devices and departed the hospital to attend to business.

Otter was getting ready for her next match when Zeke popped up with abra floating behind him and a report for her to look over. It was regarding the units that had been dispatched to check shipping lanes and smugglers' courses. To her dismay nothing had turned up despite the extensive canvasing of the area.

Otter drummed her fingers on the dispatch thinking of the next move the House of Valor should make. She hadn't even wanted a part of Fox's life or decisions when he had mentioned this in the letter; somehow though, Hank and Zeke had roped Otter into it deferring back to her as if she were Fox's replacement.

"I feel as if we should withdraw our foreign agents, we knew how long it would take for them to arrive from Sinnoh. Somehow they've gotten past us, we should split the list of gyms that we have left to ascertain their allegiance on one team and then another will canvas the region for their base of operations." Otter simplified the response.

"Who do you want in charge of the gyms and who do you want engaging in reconnaissance?" Zeke suspected he knew where she would place him.

"I'll send word out to Hank; he and I will tackle the gyms, either they're neutral and they join us or they work for the Prophets and we help them retire from the organization." The words left a bitter taste in her mouth, "As for the area reconnaissance, Zeke, you take lead on that. I want the Prophets found and I want this done before too long. I have a bad feeling that something is coming and I want to minimize collateral damage. Do what you must to find them; hopefully we hear something back from Fox soon."

"Yes ma'am, I'll pass the word along. Is there anything else?"

"No, not as yet, I will keep you posted. May your fires be a beacon in the night." Otter dismissed.

"May your flames leave ashes in your wake." Zeke responded before teleporting away.

Heading into the gym for the student challenges tomorrow, gym leader the day after. How soon can you get to Norwick? Otter kept her message brief.

Not until the day after your match with the gym leader; should I be concerned?

Nah just wanted to talk about old family breeder tips I can only mention face to face since you were looking to get into that field. Otter responded, mentioning the family business was their code to say they needed to talk about House of Valor logistics.

I'll be there as soon as possible. Maybe I should look into breeding alakazam, I'm kind of jealous of Zeke's ease of getting around.

Maybe, the species does not commonly live in this region though; there are only a few small pockets where they live.

Good to know, get back to readying for your match. I'll be in transit so I won't be able to see it. Let me know how it goes?

Of course, travel well.

Tomorrow, based on the type combination of the gym she would be relying heavily on her growlithe who was almost at the point of no longer being considered a growlithe. Same to be said of eevee; her fur had already changed texture and color and the quills were coming in while the tail was shrinking slowly.

The ruff of eevee's neck had yet to take on what a mature jolteon's would look like though. Otter knew of course which one she would lead with, and it would be the stubborn Pokémon's debut match. She checked over all of her Pokémon one last time in the recreation area as well as paying special attention to Fox's before retiring to bed for the evening.

When she awoke the next day, the weight of what her life had become had crushed the thrill of the battle to come. Otter took her breakfast in the rec room before recalling her Pokémon. She had the early matches this morning and Otter was not thrilled at having to be awake that early after having just arrived to the city the night prior.

The bike ride to the gym passed in a blur and Otter was folding up her bike and clipping it to her pack before she knew it. One of the students was waiting outside of the gym doors for her, with wary steps she approached her.

"Welcome to the Norwick City Gym, challenger! Are you prepared to face teams whose weaknesses are prepared for and covered?"

"Try and stop me Kal, my team is more than capable of handling your trifecta of coverage. You will find us as inevitable as the beginning of dawn." Otter shot back waiting for the lock and key response.

"What an odd way to describe your strength, I like you, please come in." Kal didn't even flinch at the mention of dawn.

Otter was still suspicious but she followed with as much expedience as she could without stepping directly on Kal's heels. The first arena they approached was like the one Rabbit had; a large grassy field though this one had longer, unkempt grass than that neatly manicured lawn.

Kal gestured to a hall that led to the visiting trainers' box before she dashed off to the other side for hers. Otter set her pokeballs on the tray facing the hinge towards her and the opening towards the field. Eevee's rocked gently in the pouch for pokeballs and Otter let her out so she could witness the match as well.

The news teams were ready and broadcasting already, both trainers could hear them murmuring excitedly as the referee approached. Once he was situated and dropped the flag the trainers began.

Kal started with a magnemite but when growlithe entered the field, she withdrew it and let out a poliwrath. Forced to withdraw growlithe, Otter sent out Precious and a fierce battle soon ensued. After a hard to follow volley of attacks between the two Pokémon, both had retreated a bit of distance to catch their breath.

With the next attack the battle was decided and Precious had to be withdrawn before further injury. Tauros was sent out next and with a wild charge filled with built up static energy knocked poliwrath out. Magnemite came back out and harried tauros, staying just out of reach.

Tauros was quickly withdrawn and growlithe came back out; fire coursing from his mouth and coated his fur, soon being turned into a fiery blitz. Growlithe's speed let it reach the Pokémon but when he landed it was not on solid footing and he twisted his paw.

Growling terribly, he uttered a fierce roar that left the injured magnemite fleeing for its trainer. The Pokémon was declared unable to battle and that part of the match went to Otter.

Electabuzz was let out next and a dreadful bout went down between the two apex Pokémon but it eventually wound up going to growlithe.

The next two students were also hard fought but Otter prevailed, albeit it barely. Having to face electric and water was troubling for her but kangaskhan was an anchor in the last match against the third of Norwick City Gym's students. Gym Leader Umir was waiting for her on the steps out of the gym.

"That was well fought, if you wish it, you may take tomorrow to rest your Pokémon." He offered in a deep voice that was barely audible.

"Thank you sir, but I shall face you tomorrow; I look forward to our match." Otter bowed with respect.

"It is always advised that one should not push their Pokémon too hard." Umir raised an eyebrow, never having been declined before.

"My Pokémon and I will be ready to face the day tomorrow. I trust you will be as well. What do you think of how the dawn begins?" Otter asked.

"It is like the tides or lightning; you cannot stop it from happening; one can only accept that it will happen." Umir's voice made the words sound mysterious and left Otter mildly confused if he shared an affiliation with the Prophets.

Otter spent the evening musing over Umir's words as she looked over her Pokémon. Precious was exhausted but not injured severely and was resting comfortably at the foot of Otter's bed while the others were out in the recreation area.

Getting her growlithe to sit still while she bandaged his foot was a completely different challenge and a fellow trainer came over to assist. Otter coated the bandages in a pepper solution to keep growlithe from messing with them after thanking the other trainer. After a meal she readied herself for the next day, Otter gave Precious another once over who was still sulking grumpily; he was not fond of being defeated in battle.

Once she finally got into bed Precious took over most of it and flopped across her as a heavy blanket. He budged a little just enough to let Otter get comfortable; growlithe, jealous that the other two had places on the bed, clambered up and stretched out. Eevee settled into the thick fur of growlithe, the sharp quills that had started growing in not bothering the other Pokémon one bit.

Otter found herself wedged between her Persian and her growlithe, pinned beneath the blankets but it was cozy enough she was asleep soon thereafter.

Her alarm went off what seemed a short time later but she was too deep into her dreams and heard none of it. Precious opened an eye in great annoyance and when Otter wasn't stirring he grabbed her by the pajamas, dragging her forcefully from the bed to the accompaniment of loud swearing.

Ignoring her tirade, he dragged her into the shower and with added torment managed to bat the shower handle into the on position. The spray of cold water completely rousted Otter and she wound up having to dry off the Persian before she took a shower of her own.

Precious was ornery and none too thrilled at the prospect of sitting the gym leader's match out. Eevee, lapras and Persian were benched for this match; lapras for obvious reasons and the other two for differing reasons. When Otter approached the gym, Precious and Eevee's luxury balls rocked violently in their case before the two Pokémon ejected themselves, walking in alongside her. The news reporters were waiting with cameras trained on her as if in anticipation of words for her.

"I have come to claim the Adaptation Badge from Umir, today marks another name that beget his downfall on the plaques out front; in Rabbit's name I battle." It sounded ridiculous to her but the press loved theatrical statements from the trainers.

"Bold words from a trainer, but come, prove yourself worthy of claiming your adaptability in the face of adversity." Umir's voice thundered through the halls.

Otter approached the arena which had changed since yesterday. It still had the section of tall grass but a portion of the field had been replaced by a rocky outcropping though that would only give her an evasion bonus.

She could use that to her advantage certainly, but she knew nothing about what Umir possessed for a team just what he could possibly possess. Laying out her Pokémon on the tray, Otter was as ready as she could be.

When the referee dropped his flag, Umir sent out a vileplume and Otter sent out her growlithe.

"Otter, little friend, give it another week or so and you should be calling that fellow there a fully matured arcanine." Umir chuckled in a deep rumble, "I would place a wager that he will come into that extreme speed of all arcanine by Wednesday two weeks from now."

"You must know your arcanine fairly well."

"When part of your gym weakness includes fire types, you need to be well informed of every possible variable. Now then, enough of this, shall we?"

Vileplume inhaled deeply and with a deep ploomph sound, a thick cloud of purple spores erupted from the center of vileplume's crown. It coated the ground around her, growlithe circling warily just outside the contamination zone. Otter confirmed the need for caution with a brief whistle.

Vileplume pollen instigated a highly toxic allergic reaction and regardless of typing, it could seriously hinder growlithe's combat efficiency. Burning it was out of the question, it potentially could create a toxic cloud of smoke that would even affect the trainers as well.

Growlithe inhaled deeply, having come a long way from spitting embers, instead throwing a vicious cone of flames that sailed right over the circle of poison. An upsurge of sludge spewed out from vileplume and met the flames. The two attacks met and exploded, sending the poisonous spore and acrid smoke wafting throughout the arena.

Protective domes covered the trainer boxes and growlithe was left to fend for itself. His body began emitting flames from pores beneath the fur and soon the air in the arena became a scorching heat wave. The poisonous spores and toxic smoke ignited entirely, the flare up caused both trainers to flinch from the boisterous flash. When their eyes cleared, vileplume had collapsed and growlithe was breathing heavily.

Umir withdrew his Pokémon and released a vaporeon to replace vileplume. Growlithe, still breathing heavily, began shaking his fur. The coarse fibers of his coat began building up static and with a wild charge of built up electricity struck out in an attempt to take down the water Pokémon. Vaporeon dodged the tired growlithe easily, striking it dead on with a pulse of water.

The cold jet of water drastically cooled growlithe's body temperature and he passed out. Otter withdrew him before he took any more damage. The environmental shields had since opened and before she could stop him, Precious had leapt down onto the field.

The persian growled at the vaporeon savagely before uttering a challenging voice filled with similar energies to his hyper beam. Umir's Pokémon countered by roaring at Precious with a voice filled with the same hyperactive energy. The two attacks cancelled each other out and Otter's persian moved away, circling the vaporeon; seeking an opening the static charge of his fur bristled.

Precious leapt and bit down on the back of the neck of vaporeon but the other Pokémon collapsed into water, sliding away. He reconstituted a little further out of reach of the persian and with an icy breath, caused a haze to spread across the arena. Precious closed his eyes and listened intently for the movement of the vaporeon.

The icy haze on the field dampened the persian's fur and the electricity he had been building up dissipated. Dark energy coated his front claws as he padded silently in the thick grass. Moving towards the rocky outcroppings, the less moisture the vaporeon could capitalize on the better. Clambering softly onto a larger rock, Precious was attentive to the surroundings, ears flicking and moving.

Vaporeon was as concealed in the haze as Precious was; the next ambush would more than likely decide the match. Umir's Pokémon was almost completely silent but Otter could tell Precious was not fooled in the least. A commotion could be heard from within the haze, the persian was on the attack.

Little could be seen within but after a long period of silence, Umir turned the exhaust fans on to clear the field. Precious was the first to be seen, languidly perched on top of a boulder grooming himself. Vaporeon had fallen and Umir withdrew the Pokémon.

A raichu was dispatched and it started off the match hastily, surrounded by a ball of electricity he dashed at the recumbent persian. Dodging nimbly the two waged a battle of calamitous proportions. The shielding for the trainer boxes went up again, this time in attempts to prevent any stray attack from striking Umir or Otter.

Precious was playing rough, unable to take the luxury of pulling his attacks. Otter noticed that raichu's attacks seemed to be stronger than her persian's but Precious still had the advantage of speed on his side. He was an artful technician when it came to his attacks even though they were weaker, Precious used them effectively.

Raichu had gotten in close to her persian when the tide of battle changed; with a strange coughing noise, Precious shot a toxic smelling ball of gunk that coated the other Pokémon entirely. Raichu began convulsing from the poison forcing Umir to concede the match.

The light from the pokeball put the Pokémon in stasis until they got to the Pokémon center and the poison wouldn't spread further.

"That persian of yours is truly a formidable adversary." Umir stepped down from the trainer's box and walked to midfield where Otter was walking up to check over her Pokémon.

"Thank you, I don't know who is more grateful to have gotten him from the shelter; him or me." Otter stroked the persian's fur carefully, he had some burn marks from stray lightning bolts that would need to be attended to.

"The world works in mysterious ways; you both were where you needed to be at precisely the right moment." Umir smiled.

"If I may, sir, I have a question." Otter beckoned him closer.

"Of course, ask away." He noticed the way she glanced surreptitiously at the news anchors.

"Your answers prior did little to fulfill my questions. I must ask directly; where do you stand in regards to the Prophets of Renewal?" Otter whispered quietly.

"Those people are fanatics; you would do well to steer as far from them as possible." Umir responded in a hushed tone, "If there is more you wish to discuss, come back tonight after my other challengers."

"I will, thank you for your time." Otter shook his hand.

Fox was whooping in delight at the spectacle of Otter's match, Ro had watched it with him and he was quieter in his appreciation of the match. It wasn't that she was an incapable trainer, it was that Ro felt the whole system a cruel abuse.

People and Pokémon had become too thoroughly ensconced with one another, he would free them all. Fox was getting dressed while the reporter was interviewing Otter after the match. He had turned the volume up so he could listen.

"Just as in your last gym battle, your Pokémon took a victory in an astounding display of strength. Congratulations on your second badge, is there anything you would like to attribute your rising success to?"

"My friends are a huge motivation to me; Fox and I met up in Brill Harbor and we sparred together in preparation for that match. We were supposed to take this gym together as this was a gym that hadn't been open last year but he stayed on in Brill Harbor to catch up with Nora and then take the first train here after that." Otter could be heard responding.

"Well, wherever Fox is, I feel certain he would be proud of your continued success. We look forward to seeing you continue on this blazing path you're setting out for yourself. Go well and we look forward to the next stop you make."

"Thank you."

"Fox are you ready to leave?" Ro called out loudly.

"All set, it's not like I had much left to pack up. We just need to stop by the garden first." Fox opened the door and they walked out.

Venusaur was excited to leave and didn't object to being returned to the pokeball at long last. Fox set the pokeball into the pouch clipped to his hip, the empty case apart from venusaur pained him greatly. Ro watched the young man leaning on the cane, Fox was lost in thought and never saw Ro slip up behind him.

A quick prick of a needle and Fox's head began to spin; an orderly caught him before he fell.

"There you are Father Ro, is there anything else I may do for you?"

"Thank you my son, would you be so kind as to wheel him out for me? He will be dosed throughout the train ride to our base of operations."

Otter had returned to the gym shortly after dinner. Umir was waiting patiently in a conference room for her. Vaporeon was sitting on his lap crooning happily and Otter's eevee ran over to the vaporeon who leapt down to wrestle with the eventual jolteon. Umir watched the two for a moment more.

"Is this a secure room?" Otter asked.

"The only ears to hear what you have to say are mine."

"I represent a group of people interested in the self-preservation of normal life in Merifos. A group known as the Prophets of Renewal has arisen, they have an interest in some scholarly assets as well as conversion of trainers and other people." Otter was watching Umir for any flicker of reaction or adversity, "The House of Valor would like to know if, as a gym leader, you would like to prevent the Prophets from carrying through with what they plan."

"Does this House of Valor even have an idea of what these Prophets plan is?"

"We have numerous assets on the ground looking into it. We intend to have an affirmation as to the reasons of their plan and what it entails."

"What do you know of Brill Harbor Gym? Word on the Leader Network says the foundation cracked in such a way the building flooded and collapsed." Umir fixed her with a steady gaze.

"Nora and her students were sympathizers, we took the information we had from them before our actions. My associate should be bringing me the report tomorrow." Otter was watching Umir's face for any adverse reaction.

"When your operative comes into town, I wish to hear this report for myself. I will base my decision upon that. You may leave now." Umir dismissed her with no inflection in his gravelly voice.

Otter gave a slight bow, called her eevee over and left thereafter. Retiring to the lodge for the evening, she ensured the private recreation area was booked for her. When she got down to it, Otter let the ten Pokémon out; Fox's seemed relieved to be out of their pokeballs. Precious and ninetales were growling at each other as each wanted to be brushed out first.

They said a trainer had booked the private recreation area on deck c with the water feature, is that you? Hank's message startled her as she was trying to keep the two Pokémon from fighting with each other.

Yes, please get down here quick, I need to brush out five Pokémon and two of them are vying to be the first brushed out.

Down in a moment, Precious and ninetales?"

You know it.

Lapras and gyarados were watching the fiasco with amusement as Otter was waiting for Hank to come out of the elevator. Growlithe was sprawled out snoozing, ignorant of the drama while tauros was munching the grass placidly in recreation deck c and eevee was patiently waiting her turn.

Kangaskhan was comfortably asleep through all of it and sandshrew was trying to get her attention. Hank showed up in time, taking the extra brush and opting for distracting ninetales from striking out at Precious.

Purring smugly the persian sat with patience through the grooming; once he was satisfied, Otter moved on until the rest of her furry Pokémon were groomed and happy. Hank let out his small team of four, torterra moved sluggishly for the sun lamp, an East Sea gastrodon slipped into the water, luxray stayed by his side along with a houndoom.

"So this is your actual team?" Otter introduced herself to the houndoom and luxray.

"And a gabite but he's next door at the Pokémon center. He wasn't feeling well so he's getting a checkup." Hank added, wanting to ensure she knew all of his team.

"That seems like a very ground type heavy team, aren't you concerned at all?" Otter was worried for him.

"My team can handle anything any challenger can dish out." Hank spoke with confident assurance.

"As long as you don't regularly get defeated by young trainers from Matpa Town, then I suppose it's not all bad." Otter teased.

"Oh hush, do you want to hear the reports from Brill Harbor?" Hank shushed watching her growlithe sniffing around his houndoom; she wasn't in heat yet but they might make an interesting cross breed in the canine Pokémon family.

"Sorry, please, tell me about Brill Harbor."

"Everything is in the report, to paraphrase though; Nora and her students were sympathizers, they intend to raze the world to the ground and rebuild it from the ashes up." Hank whispered.

"That's horrible, do we know how?"

"Not yet, I hear you already have a plan for staff operation?"

"Yes, you and I will take teams to handle the gyms on Fox's list; Zeke is building up teams for reconnaissance. Tomorrow though, we need to speak to Umir; he wants to hear the report regarding this. Most likely something to do with the fact that the House of Valor took out a gym leader and her students. How much collateral damage was there?" Otter was concerned, knowing the enthusiasm of some of the other members.

"I saw to the job myself, a simple earthquake to destabilize the foundation; the building collapsed a little deeper causing a mild flood but there were only four casualties in it all and mild property damage." Hank listed it off.

"Better your methods than Zeke's. Hopefully Umir doesn't look too deep into some of Valor's methods." Otter sighed.

"I'm thankful Zeke isn't here for this report with a gym leader." Hank grumbled.

They spent the evening attending to the Pokémon and in the morning they bought their tickets for the next city. They sent out word to a handful of other operatives to meet up with them. From there they got breakfast, exercised the Pokémon, and went out for lunch as Umir had a morning battle to contend with.

They were discussing the best strategies for teams that didn't have coverage to handle certain gyms and their typing when Umir messaged her that the morning matchup was over. They made their way back to the gym with great haste, not wanting to keep the gym leader waiting.

Umir greeted them and ushered them into his conference room; taking the report from Otter and reading through it more times than they anticipated.

"Tell me this, why do you want me to join you, is it only for the gym's capacity for Pokémon that you want joining you, or the gym leader specifically?" Umir gripped the report tightly.

"Consider that we intend only to have you in the capacity of no action. It is better for us to have you stand out the battle to come than to be fighting for the wrong side."

"You only want my promise to stay out of the fight; so be it, I only wish to live and teach my wisdoms in peace. I hope for your sake this ends the way that provides the most benefit for Merifos."

"Thank you Umir, I hope peace in Norwick remains unsullied by the Prophets."

"Norwick will be neutral ground, if I see either the Prophets or the House of Valor in my city engaged in hostility, I will remove both sides by force."

"We understand completely, Umir; before go though, tell me what you know of the gym leaders on this list." Hank passed him the list that Fox had made. Umir took it in hand and shook his head.

"I wish that I could be of assistance, these gym leaders that are already established are reticent to include any new gym leaders. Valor in the face of adversity trainers." Umir gestured at the door, dismissing them.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Fox woke up in a strange but comfortable bedroom, well-furnished it appeared to be personal quarters rather than a hotel room. The window was a video screen of some far off destination and the door itself was locked when he limped over to check it. There was a call button by the bedside, an item he jammed the button down in frustration waiting for a response.

"Oh, Fox, you are awake; I apologize for the rudeness of both your arrival and your room. The Prophets of Renewal have secrets to keep and our location is amongst them, as for the door, well I wanted to ensure that I was by your side before you started exploring for yourself." Ro seemed sincere before he signed off.

Fox waited nearly seven minutes until footsteps approached the door. He noticed that his pokeball and phone were both waiting for him on a nightstand. Pocketing both he waited for the lock to click.

Ro opened the door gesturing him out into the hall; Fox warily stepped out and was greeted with an underwhelming hallway.

"Where am I?" Fox looked about for any indication of what might be.

"You are in, as we Prophets call it, The Tower of Mystics. It is a safe haven of knowledge." Ro made a broad sweeping gesture as they approached an elevator.

"What is this place for though, it looks mostly like a hotel."

"We have been conducting research for the last two and a half decades, all that we have learned is nearly upon us. We will soon be ready to move on to our next stage." Ro selected a floor and they soon began descending. Fox discovered they were on the top floor which was curious to him.

"If that was the top floor, why were there no windows?"

"The top three floors are guest chambers either for Prophets that are passing through, or potential new recruits that have yet to decide what path they wish to take. We wish this tower to be a secret to the rest of the world. By outward appearances, this looks like a private business no one is going to be any wiser."

"But what is the purpose of it all?" Fox questioned to the accompaniment of the floors dinging.

"The knowledge we have been gleaning over the years will help rebuild this world; we can start anew and guide our people to new growth in mind, body and soul. It is for the good of all." Ro spoke with a sincerity that was almost convincing enough for Fox.

"But that could kill millions of people and Pokémon, what about them?"

"As terrible as the loss of life will be, the Prophets and I will scatter to the far reaches of our planet; we will usher the people through their grief and assuage the hearts of the masses." Ro's words bordered on fanaticism.

"What of the Pokémon?"

"They are far more durable than you give them credit for; as a trainer, you should know this. You yourself have witnessed Pokémon survive strikes from claws coated with dark energy, point blank blasts of hyper-active ionized energy beams, not to mention the host of other elemental attacks. Trust me when I say they will not suffer from this."

"How do you mean to instigate this change?"

"I will not be showing you that, I'm sure you understand, this is something that outsiders cannot see. I can show you about the other areas."

"Understood. Please let us continue."

Ro took him through the building once they got off from the elevator. Most of what he showed was of little consequence. A library on lore from every region contained an astounding amount of knowledge. Seven sections for seven regions were organized alphabetically by region and Fox's mouth gaped at the spread of knowledge before him.

He stepped away from Ro, the closest section to the door was a spread of six shelves with an assortment of titles. Rare books from Professor Juniper dotted the shelves on a number of topics. There was lore from across Unova and Fox looked down the rows, the sight of the other regions piqued his curiosity. Merifos wasn't infected with legendary lore and as such there weren't many stories about their actions in correlation with his home region.

"While you get acquainted with the Prophets of Renewal, this library is yours to come and go as you please." Ro offered a key card to Fox.

"Thank you, there is much I wish to learn about the other regions; this library must have taken you ages to collect."

They wandered from the library and down the hall. The cafeteria was free to eat from but it was more like a restaurant than anything else. The smell of food made Fox's stomach growl and they sat in quiescence enjoying the meal. After dinner he was shown to a place where he could get clothes and other supplies he needed.

"I have some work to attend to, please excuse me; you may return to your room or to the library." Ro excused himself.

"Wait, is there a place that I can let venusaur out?"

"Of course, there is a garden on the ninth floor. Please enjoy."

Fox watched the man walk away as he debated how best to spend the rest of his evening. Heading back to the eighth floor, Fox opened the library and started perusing the sections. He would need to figure out a way to remove this library when everything eventually went awry. Fox wanted to keep looking through the Unova section but there were more important matters to look into.

In the Sinnoh Region section, he found what he was looking for; a book titled, _The Dragons of Creation_ authored in partnership by Professor Rowan and Professor Manchineel. Heading back towards the elevator Fox made his way up to the park. With venusaur out from his pokeball, the two rested together as he began reading.

"Professor Manchineel, how are we looking on the output?" Ro watched the empty arch, waiting for a reaction.

"All the readouts are showing the gate as stable. If you are ready Father Ro, please take the honor of firing up the gate." Professor Manchineel deferred to the leader of the Prophets of Renewal.

Ro knew the firing sequence to activate the gate and pressed three different buttons before flipping a switch. Professor Manchineel smiled, there was always a switch to flip. The next floor down directly under the arch, a globe contained three misdreavus screaming in agony before they could no longer hold their corporeal forms. They burst apart in an explosion of dark energy.

In the room above, the screams of the Pokémon could not be heard but to the mismagius hiding in the shadows of the room she felt the pain of her brethren deep in her essence. The arch in the room above flickered at first and then solidified in a poisonous purple color. A thick glob of energy was spat into the room.

"Shut it off! Quick before it gets through!" A person was standing up after having been launched out into the room.

A terrible bellow roared through the gateway and Father Ro caught a glimpse of something trying to push through. He hit the safety release and dumped the energies of the gate back where they had come from.

"Security! Initiate feedback dampeners for the building! I don't need any signals getting out. Make certain the feedback loop is in place. We cannot alert the agency." Ro shouted into an intercom on the console.

Mismagius watched the energies fill the globe but they were inert. She tried pouring some of her energies into it but there was no response. Drifting up through the ceiling and the walls, she continued moving up unseen; she would have kept going but there was a trainer sleeping against a venusaur that caught mismagius' attention.

He had a book that was resting open against his chest; she woke him up, startling him to the point Fox fell off of venusaur. Mismagius giggled and Fox got the notion that the mismagius needed something. He gestured for the Pokémon to follow him and follow she did.

That evening when Fox fell asleep, he had bizarre dreams of flickering laboratories and screaming Pokémon. When he woke abruptly from them, mismagius was staring intently at him. Fox checked the time on his watch, it was a little after three in the morning. Fox took the hint and put on proper clothes, forgoing any shoes to better sneak around.

He crept like a zoroark in the night looking for the exit stairwell, not wanting to chance security being alerted by the chiming of the elevator. As it was, the elevator only appeared to go to the first floor. Fox would have no need to check each floor, mismagius was leading him on to where they needed to go.

When they got to the ground floor though, the Pokémon drifted through the wall while Fox was left looking for a way through.

"Why does every organization always have a secret set of floors? The House of Valor has no secret passages or anything else like that. I wonder if there is some sort of catalogue I should be subscribing to for this sort of thing." Fox muttered to himself as mismagius poked her head through the wall checking on him. She gave a strange cry and a portion of wall opened up.

There was no sinister lighting, no diabolical music or any other indicators that Ro and his organization were engaged in anything illicit. The first room in the corridor was filled with nine blue-grey pupas, they rocked lightly causing an alarm to chime softly. A hiss of gas crept into the room and the pupas stilled.

Fox closed the door quietly, lest anyone notice he was creeping about. He shouldn't have worried much about that at all, mismagius was causing havoc in the inner workings of the surveillance system.

Fox found the room containing the arch but he found nothing that would explain what it was or what it did. Mismagius led him to another stair well that took him deeper under the building. He found the room with the remains of the three misdreavus and a terrible keening filled the room.

Their energy was boiling as if someone was keeping the energy active to reuse it but the Pokémon themselves were no more. An alarm went off, causing Fox to flinch.

"We need to go; can you take me back up to my room?" He asked mismagius, who in response wrapped a streamer of her billowing essence around his wrist and yanked him intangibly through the floors.

They ascended in an expeditious fashion, Fox thought he saw something familiar on their way through the floors but it was only a fraction of a moment. After landing back in his room, his stomach betrayed him and Fox lurched for the bathroom; the remainder of dinner fled from him.

He washed up and took a moment to consider the evening while mismagius looked on with concern and interest. It was most likely a hallucination brought on by the Pokémon changing his bodily structure, same reasoning behind his violent expulsions.

Fox attempted to send a message to Otter but his phone had no signal, there was not even a wireless network he could tap into. He was on his own in this tower and just had to hope the House of Valor could see the operation through to success. Fox spent the next month in similar fashion, though they applied far more discretion as the scoured through the building for answers.

Precious and ninetales were resting against each other satisfied with Otter's grooming. Arcanine was getting his turn, he had grown into a laid back and easy going Pokémon; something Otter was grateful for as he had reached his full height. Jolteon was regarding her from a food induced stupor having gotten into Otter's pack and raided the Pokémon treats.

They were facing the third gym leader on their portion of the list tomorrow and he was one of the oddballs going in for a six on six match. The last two gyms had been sympathizers and with the aid of zoroarks brought in from route twenty in Kalos, the gym leaders and students were replaced with operatives from the House of Valor.

Anelle of the Galsin City Gym was the last stop on their hit list and Otter's six would be going up against. Originally a trainer from far off lands, Anelle ran a team of dark Pokémon; a typing that was uncommon in Merifos. Many trainers, only needing eight gym badges to enter the biannual Pokémon tournament, usually avoided her gym as the moves of many dark types were underhanded tactics. Rumor had it that the government would be shutting down her gym after this year.

Unlike the other gyms, she had no students of her own; no trainers had stepped forward to learn from her or have any desire to take on her legacy when she retired.

Hank had not yet beaten this gym leaving him unable to give any solid advice on what to expect. He pounded on her door the next morning five minutes before her alarm was set to go off. Arcanine was taking up a vast potion of the bed; despite his at ease demeanor ordinarily, he was far from a morning Pokémon. A blast of fire struck the door, despite the safety regulations it still heated the handle and a yelp from outside left the Pokémon chuffing happily.

"That's not polite arcanine, entertaining, but not polite." Otter chuckled despite Hank's muffled swearing.

She let her and Fox's Pokémon out so Hank could get them fed before the match. Otter finished getting ready for the day, joining them for breakfast. It would take every ounce of strategy she and her Pokémon could muster but they would triumph.

Since her growlithe had come into his full growth from his puppyhood, Otter had found he preferred running with her on his back than her riding the bike. With the government stipend, she hired someone in the last city back to craft a saddle and bags for even distribution. After that, her bike had been used sporadically only in areas that deeply frowned upon Pokémon outside of their pokeballs.

Hank would catch up to Otter shortly, the match did not start until noon so he would have time to get back. Anelle wanted to have tea before the match in civility before their battle commenced. It was odd, the majority of the books said those that favored dark type Pokémon were reclusive and antisocial; as far as Otter had seen though, the Gym Leader was amicable and of such friendliness that it was endearing. Leading arcanine out from the lodge she hadn't bothered with the saddle given the short trip from the Pokémon center to the gym.

Anelle was waiting on the steps for her to arrive, Otter had caught the barest hint of loneliness on her face before it vanished with an ear to ear smile. She had barely stepped down from arcanine when the Gym Leader gave her a mighty ursaring hug, before greeting arcanine with equal enthusiasm. A shadow fell over them with an enormous gust of wind and a hydreigon dropped out of the sky to nuzzle up to Arnelle. The size of it led Otter to believe it to be a male and she circled his body warily as he floated next to his loving trainer. Most likely it had internal gas bladders that allowed it to float as the wings did not appear as if they could lift the hydreigon otherwise.

"That is an impressive Pokémon." Otter complimented.

"Thank you, my starter Pokémon and I found his egg being carried off by a fearow when we had moved on to Unova and were heading up to the Pokémon league tournament. He's been with us ever since. What about that arcanine of yours?" Arnelle asked as she placed a hand on the small of Otter's back, guiding her into the gym.

"I spent two months in the wilderness out beyond Pine Coast City while the arcanine were weaning their growlithes and earned their trust. This one took a shine to me and the parents let him follow me. They're such majestic creatures but I saw one take down a stantler that must have wandered down from the far north; that was a frightful sight I will not soon forget." Otter understood that it was the food chain but being that close to the raw, visceral display was entirely different than getting food from a market place.

She was led to a room with a door large enough to admit hydreigon and arcanine comfortably. Arnelle pulled out Otter's chair as hydreigon drifted slowly to the floor and settled into a terrifying ball. Arcanine sat behind Otter's chair and they both watched as Arnelle poured some tea, brought out biscuits and sandwiches as well as bowls with separate Pokémon friendly treats. Arcanine's bushy tail made a soft susurration as it swept across the floor in contained excitement. Once Arnelle sat down both Pokémon dug into their snacks and Otter began hers. The tea was a lovely chai spice and the sandwiches seemed to have a thick, spicy hummus like spread on them for the protein with crisp spinach leaves providing an enjoyable crunch.

"I understand you have some questions about my affiliations outside of Galsin City?" Arnelle cut straight to the point.

"Are you in association with an organization known as the Prophets of Renewal?" Otter appreciated the direct approach, they could engage in pleasantries after.

"No, in fact, I faced the man in charge of it in a battle back in Unova. This was after the organization there known as Team Plasma had been forcefully disbanded. This man, Ro, was only midlevel in the organization but rumor had it he had his own vision of how the world should be.

After he lost to another trainer, sweet Hilda, near the end of the tournament; the young woman who should have been my opponent was found dead and all her Pokémon released back to the wild.

Hilda had just gotten back from far off regions too, I had met her in Kalos some time ago and it was the first time we had seen each other in a good while. We were anticipating the opportunity to battle each other once more but that man ruined our plans.

Ro vanished after that and I've been chasing after him since. That man is dangerous and left unchecked could ruin everything." Anelle's heart gave a pang of regret, she had gotten to know Hilda well and Ro had taken all that from her.

"I'm sorry to hear that Anelle, you're from Kalos originally?" Otter reached across the table, patting Anelle's hand. The gym leader held onto it a moment longer before reaching for her tea.

"Born in Santalune City and raised in Lumiose City. I led a good life there but I always wanted to see more of the world than just Kalos. It is part of why I am here now."

"I represent the House of Valor, our goals appear to be the same and your strength would be appreciated in the days to come. We would welcome you amongst our numbers."

"Even though you came under different pretexts, I am glad to have a challenger; not many come through here. It seems the people of Merifos hold a bit of reserve towards dark types bordering on superstition. We shall battle first and then I will decide from there. We should begin soon; the media will be arriving momentarily." Anelle finished her tea and stood up to clear the table turning away so Otter couldn't see her face.

Anelle loaded the empty dishes onto a tray and carried them into the next room where she took a moment to compose herself before the match. She could hear hydreigon crooning in the parlor and bet that Otter had convinced him to accept her as well.

The other trainer squealed as a commotion broke out. Anelle ran in to find arcanine, hydreigon and Otter caught in a tumble rolling on floor. She had a laugh that was amongst the sincerest Anelle had felt in a long time, she reached a hand into the kerfuffle and helped Otter to her feet.

"I suppose we should get the match started?" Otter asked.

"The media should be arriving soon, and your friend as well. Follow me." Anelle led her towards the arena.

Hank walked up to her and introduced himself to Anelle, he was unable to battle the gym today as Anelle did not have the same Pokémon capacity as the other gyms. He had registered to battle the day after next to give her Pokémon time to recuperate. Anelle didn't care if he watched the battle, she was assured enough in her Pokémon's strength that left her confident it would make no difference to Hank.

"Is it dark in here or is it just me?" He joked.

"Lame, I've heard that one before. Surely a man of your talents could come up with something better." Anelle groaned. Hank merely shrugged and settled into a lean against the railing of the opposing trainer's box.

The referee settled in while the media outlets got caught up and ready to broadcast. Precious and jolteon were sitting in the trainer box with arcanine, waiting for the match to commence. Otter looked over the arena; an outer ring was a wide stony, outcropping while an inner ring contained a grassy field.

The two were separated by a deep pond encircling the inner ring. The arena was something her team would be able to adapt to. Checking with the trainers, the referee ensured they were ready for the match to begin.

Starting with sableye, Otter sent down Precious, his pure normal typing would keep any ghost type attacks from having any effect. He couldn't use some of his stronger attacks like hyper beam or giga impact but the persian held his own admirably. His claws were coated in that dark energy as black as a moonless night and his slashes eventually wore down the Pokémon.

In retaliation Anelle sent out pangoro who managed to clinch the match in a single seismic throw. Otter withdrew Precious before he landed and sent out kangaskhan in response, after a series of dodges and attempted throws, kangaskhan focused energy into a fist unleashing a mighty punch that sent the pangoro sprawling.

Anelle's zoroark was sent out next and with a devilish payback took down kangaskhan. Jolteon entered the field forcing the zoroark to dodge back when Otter's Pokémon unleashed a missile like barrage of needle sharp pins. Jolteon though was already moving, the static building up to a visible energy that when he wildly charged in created a massive discharge that left zoroark struggling to stand. Another flurry of vicious needles struck zoroark; snapping the needles loose with his claws jolteon's opponent readied to begin the attack anew.

Casting an illusion as jolteon was preparing another attack; the zoroark took on the image of Otter forcing the Pokémon to stop her attack. Jolteon was only confused for a brief moment but that was all it took. Zoroark's sucker punch struck her across the jaw sending her sprawling. Otter withdrew her jolteon and arcanine leapt down. In a blitz of extreme speed that no one was able to follow he took down zoroark in one attack.

Greninja took the field and immediately dove into the water. Now began when field advantages would come into play, arcanine took a surprising page from Precious' book; gathering energy in his maw arcanine unleashed a beam of hyperactive energy that boiled the water.

Greninja leapt from the water, unleashing hydrokinetic bolts of water shaped like shuriken. Arcanine still recovering from the blast could only stoke his internal temperature as high as possible. The water shuriken struck but weakly as they were already turning into steam as they got into the proximity of the beast.

Arcanine's fur bristled with static electricity as he used his speed to get close; the electricity pooled around his jaws and greninja barely avoided the electrical attack. The two rebounded off of the rocks trying to get in close to striking distance. Splashes of water filled the air along with the thunderous sound of clacking jaws; the rocks were getting dangerously slick despite the heat radiating from arcanine.

Losing footing once was all it took. Greninja darted in close and spewed a torrent of water like a gushing pump at point blank range. Fainting from the rapid cooling arcanine was withdrawn with praise being heaped upon him.

Tauros came out in a one Pokémon stampede, smashing through many of the rocks that were jutting out. Greninja dodged out of the way but enough obstacles had been cleared away that when the energy built up in tauros' fur was unleashed in a shockwave, it didn't miss greninja and the Pokémon went down. Weavile came out, dashing in rapid movements that made the slower tauros consider his opponent with care.

With an icy breath causing a frigid wind, the water that was splashed about the rocky portion of the arena began to freeze and tauros found his footing unstable. With a quick motion, weavile gave a low kick that sent tauros skidding across the ice and into the water.

Breaking the surface, tauros swam for the inner circle of grass field. Weavile attacked in pursuit leaping gracefully over the water. Barreling at the falling Pokémon, tauros caught the weavile with his horns and tossed the Pokémon away.

The Pokémon landed crookedly but not terribly enough to cause injury. In a hurried surge of movement, weavile closed the distance again and released a dark pulse that caused tauros to flinch. In a follow up attack, Anelle's Pokémon swung down on tauros' head with a chop that was strong enough to break bricks. The mighty bull fell unconscious and Otter withdrew him.

Lapras was her last Pokémon, to Otter's surprise she hadn't realized she was already down to her last though instinctively she must have known. With a deep breath lapras went straight for the bottom of the circular pond out of reach of weavile.

Moving the rubble above with an ancient power, lapras flung it at weavile; the dispersion of the attack produced a wide screen that Anelle's Pokémon was unable to dodge. Weavile was withdrawn and hydreigon floated down from behind her. He didn't have a type advantage over Otter's lapras but that meant little when it came to the versatility of dragon types.

As if to prove Otter right, the hydreigon charged up and raked the water with three beams of electricity fired from each of his heads. Lapras had sensed the electrical build up and was already breaching the surface.

Gracefully arcing out of the water, she fired an ice beam wildly; the hydreigon snapped his mouths shut, cutting off the beam and winged away. The ice beam struck a light and froze it over before the bulb exploded within the ice from the cooling. Splashing back down, lapras caught her breath, circling around trying to find an opening with the aerial Pokémon.

Hydreigon dove into the water at lapras trying to latch onto her with his maws, leaping from the water she slid across the grass. With an icy breath she tried to freeze hydreigon in the water but he was already out and back in the air. With a voice filled with hyperactive energy she disoriented the dragon. With better aiming she shot another beam of ice that unfortunately due to hydreigon's quick recovery was only a glancing blow grazing the top of his left head. Lapras continued her slide back into the water, circling once more.

Otter was gripping the handrail of the trainer's box tightly, her nerves frayed by the standoff. Hydreigon circled counter to lapras waiting for the Pokémon to come up for air or attack. Lapras sensing the predator above tried only poking her nose from the water but the hydreigon was already in motion, gripping her by the neck with the main head, the edge of the shell with the right head and her right front flipper with the left head.

He let loose a jarring shockwave that pulsed out from them at the epicenter before dropping her unceremoniously onto the grass. Hydreigon was charging up for another beam of electricity but Otter withdrew lapras. She stared in bewilderment at the fainted Pokémon tray, incredulous that she had managed to lose.

The brutal hydreigon was drifting slowly with exhaustion back to Anelle after the referee called the match. Hank was staring in stunned awe at both women astounded by what he had just witnessed. He was debating about his match with the gym leader after what he had just seen.

"I am sorry for the pain I have inflicted upon your Pokémon; we are both in need of visiting the Pokémon center. I hope you will stay with me for dinner tonight while you wait?" Anelle offered as she approached the trainer box.

"Thank you, we would enjoy that." Otter came down from the box as they rushed out from the arena for the Pokémon center the next block over.

"We will need to hold all your Pokémon overnight; I trust that will be of no concern?" The nurse raised an eyebrow making them aware that it was an order of fact and not something they could question.

"No ma'am." They muttered, humbled.

"Good, we hope to see you again; bright and early they will be ready for you. You should rest up too now as well." The nurse's face broke into a bright and cheery smile, "We hope to see you again."

Dinner that evening was spent giving attention to Fox's Pokémon while they conversed and played games. Hank was reticent to reveal his team to Anelle as he wanted to maintain some semblance of an advantage. His match was scheduled for the day after tomorrow to give Anelle's Pokémon time to rest up.

Fox's Pokémon were enjoying the attention, gyarados in particular had taken a surprising liking to Anelle, something that gave Otter a twinge. Surprised at herself, she was astounded to find that she was jealous; gyarados had yet to show the same affection for Otter despite the fact she kept him fed. The night passed in pleasant companionship, Anelle had taken the liberty to send a porter to retrieve their belongings from the lodge and they wound up staying the rest of the week in the gym before a report from Zeke had them packing up to leave.

Hank's match against Anelle had gone about as well as Otter's and he lost the match despite his best efforts.

Sending abra with the details, got some news, send a picture of the gym. Zeke's message had read. Otter had sent a picture in response and a moment later, the Pokémon appeared with a sealed canister.

Hank took the canister from abra and with a small key on a necklace unlocked the tube. He read over the message twice with a barely concealed grin before passing the note to Otter. Anelle's curiosity was waging war with her patience as she waited to see what the news was. Otter didn't leave her waiting long.

"While we still have not received word from Fox regarding his whereabouts, the House of Valor has captured a repository building the Prophets were operating out of. Zeke wants us to leave right away, abra will be teleporting us back to him. Are you joining us?" Otter and Anelle had been talking long into the night on more than a few occasions about what she planned to do after the two operatives of the House had left.

"I feel that I must, for Hilda."

"Are you packed?"

"My travel pack has always been packed and ready. I never know where life will take me, usually I go where the wind takes us."

Abra was bobbing gently in the air waiting for them to be ready. Hank, Otter and Anelle clasped hands and took hold of abra's shoulder. For a terrifyingly brief and disorienting moment, it was as if they ceased to exist. They reappeared in the bright flash of day, all three splitting off to vomit profusely.

"I will never get used to that method of travel, absolutely never. Do you girls want a lemon scented wet wipe? I carry extra." Hank reached for them with an unsullied hand.

Zeke was approaching them, having seen his abra appear with the three of them in tow. They were standing outside an abandoned library in a defunct town that was more necropolis than anything else. The town had long since been left to rot after the mine had been bled dry, it was a tourist destination nowadays. From what Otter could see though it had to be weeks or even months since a tourist had been here.

"Breath mints?" Zeke offered as they finished cleaning themselves off. Grateful, they each took one and followed after him. The library was mostly a museum but there were still a handful of shelves that had been hermetically sealed to preserve the old books.

"Why do the bad guys always choose the old spooky places?" Hank muttered in a stage whisper.

"Can you imagine trying to run an organization of questionable morality in a place that has normal people going about their daily lives?" Anelle elbowed him playfully.

"Excuse me normal people, I must go about my nefarious deeds." Otter joined in the teasing as Zeke led them to the back of the museum.

"Down here." Zeke opened a door marked for employees only.

Leading them to a corner of what appeared to be employee offices, Zeke grabbed the handle of a drawer in a filing cabinet and tugged. The whole wall pulled away with the cabinet attached and a draft wafted up from below. Stairs led down into darkness before harsh fluorescent lights flickered into existence washing it away.

"It makes you wonder, is there some sort of catalogue that a secret organization gets that provides deals and sales on hidden rooms?" Otter whispered, not wanting to completely break the hush that had fallen over them.

"I think Fox might say the same thing. You people from Matpa Town, you're all alike. The House of Valor could have done with some secret offices." Hank whispered back as they descended.

When the stairs opened up into a spacious basement, it was equal parts laboratory and classroom. Chalkboards still covered with equations and notes spanned an entire wall, globes the size of a haunter hooked up to strange machinations on another wall. There were journals lining an entire bookshelf next to the chalkboard.

"What were they trying to do?" Anelle mused out loud as she studied the impossible equations.

"We don't know yet; we have some scientists that we're bringing on board to see if we can translate some of this. Right now, the House of Valor is setting up shop; our source told us the Prophets of Renewal were coming back to clean this place out. Our movers will be here in thirty minutes. I wanted to show you this untouched before we moved everything out. Does any of this look familiar?" Zeke gestured around him.

"There's a few things here that stick out to me, yes; the first journal on the shelf is marked, The Distortion World. What I have heard of such a place does not paint it in a good light." Hank was holding the journal he was talking about and leafing through it as he spoke.

"This place was just abandoned when you found it?" Anelle asked grabbing another journal from the shelf marked The Dragon of Antimatter.

"Not exactly, no; we, ah, retrieved the information from one of the Prophets which led us here. There were a couple of guards in the area which was odd given that this place was shut down last month. We threw down jammers to keep the signal from getting back to the Federal Observation Committee and we extracted more information once they stopped trying to fight back."

"Well, Zeke, did you get anything other than that?" Otter was exasperated, for a man who enjoyed taking information he was certainly reticent to give it.

"They were heading up north, the guards had yet to be given the exact coordinates though and they were to wait until someone came to retrieve the work from the laboratory."

"Alright, well that's something; north is a fairly broad direction, Zeke get all of this cleaned up and shipped to operations. From there, lay in wait for whomever is coming; we need more information. Meet us once you have more to go off of." Otter barked out taking on a commanding persona.

The sound of idling engines from above alerted them; they all reached for a pokeball and ran upstairs. They settled though when they saw it was from their operation that had been teleported in by a small horde of abra. Two score of men exited the cavalcade of vehicles and they ran up to find out where they were needed.

Zeke directed them downstairs with packing supplies in tow. Otter watched with Hank and Anelle as the men packed up in a storm of motion; the laboratory was disassembled with clear notes as to where everything came from while scientists were teleported in to take high resolution photos of the chalkboards.

After which they applied a clear drying sealant and carefully packed those up as well. Once they were finished packing the hidden room up, they set charges of a special type of cement that would expand exponentially when exposed to an electrical charge. They checked the laboratory once more, if there was one secret room, there potentially could be another but after one of the scientists' trevenant found nothing from drifting through each wall, they left and detonated the cement charges. The ground rumbled beneath their feet before settling.

Closing the filing cabinet door, they had a machamp hold it tightly shut as the cement pushed against it. After it had taken time to dry, they opened the wall to find the smooth face of cement staring back at them. The trio watched as one by one the trucks and scientists vanished until they were left with Zeke alone. The hairs on the back of his neck prickled and went on end.

Zeke reached for his hip pouch releasing an arcanine from a pokeball on a hunch. Arcanine despite his size was stealthy and a human yelp reached their ears. Carrying a woman, probably in her late twenties, arcanine had a careful grip on her neck and she held perfectly still.

"Are you with the Prophets of Renewal?" Zeke grinned.

"Suck an egg, you stupid offspring of a garbodor!" She shot back angrily.

"We have jammers in place, an entire abandoned mining town to hide a body and you still want to be mouthy? Especially considering that all I have to do is give arcanine a simple command and it is game over for you." Zeke mused, "So tell us, are you with the Prophets of Renewal?"

"I am."

"Good, you three head on out, she and I will be having a chat. I can send you the detailed report with abra afterwards." Zeke tossed Hank a pokeball. "I think Otter's arcanine could do with only having the one passenger. I know my salamence has always enjoyed your company more than mine. I would be happy if you took her with you."

"Thank you, I will take good care of her." Hank released the salamence who nuzzled up against him.

"Oh and you're going to want the saddle as well, abra, could you bring me the saddle please?" Zeke asked kindly of his abra. The Pokémon vanished and reappeared a moment later with the saddle in question.

Salamence did not make it easy to get the saddle on her, she was excited to have Hank as her trainer. She had belonged to another trainer the prophets had killed; Zeke had kept the pokeball after he was too late for the trainer but Hank had been the one to get her to start eating again. Zeke had tried to convince her to respond to him but she had been reticent and unreceptive to his commands and questions.

"We have the twin cities north of here; Aurora and Borealis City. Where should we start?" Anelle asked.

"I have a prior engagement in July in Borealis, we can spend the month of June working in Aurora but I need to be in Borealis come July. Fox is going to do his best to be there as well, we still plan on taking the gym; for Rabbit." Otter explained.

"Okay, I think we can arrange for that. Race you both to Aurora then?" Hank gave the salamence a pat and she flapped her wings eagerly.

"If we're talking speed there's nothing that can compete with arcanine." Otter boasted.

"Be that as it may, you two are constrained by the path of the earth whereas Hank and I have the skies to ourselves." Anelle teased.

"Zeke, let us know what you find out. First one to the south entrance wins, losers by lunch and dinner. Agreed?" Otter released arcanine, pulled out the saddle from the pack and the saddle bags; redistributed everything and hopped up onto arcanine's back. Anelle's hydreigon was released and they were soon ready to be on their way.

Zeke was left with his prisoner and a cloud of dust as the trio made great haste in their departure.

"Well then, Miss Prophet; why don't you and I get acquainted then, shall we?"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Fox had been having trouble sleeping as of late, he had awoken numerous times in the night to a dark, billowing figure standing at the foot of his bed. He had spent an inordinate amount of time creeping through the hidden halls below with mismagius in attempts to sort out what it was Ro was working on. As far as he could determine, the leader of the Prophets was opening a gateway.

Some of the rooms he had gotten into had complex formulas that Rabbit may have been able to make sense of but were little more than gibberish to him. Fox still could not get a signal out on his cell phone even after mismagius had taken him up to the locked roof. The pupae in the first portion of the hallway rocked more frequently and he reckoned they would be hatching soon.

From quiet corners the pair watched Ro open a gateway numerous times and saw countless ghost types go to their end. He would have freed them but the Pokémon weren't kept on site and Ro kept him fed with information Fox was certain was false regarding the movements of the so called "Team Rocket operatives".

He could not in good conscience swear fealty to Ro after seeing what had happened to the ghost Pokémon. It was halfway through June when he and Ro had an opportunity to talk about where Fox would go.

"Honestly Fox, whether you join us or not, a trainer like you will be needed in the new world. Regrettably, I cannot release you back into it, it is a necessity. Hate me if that is your wish but consider this decision in your best interest.

Your hatred of Team Rocket for the scars they left on your body and your heart will only lead you down a path of vengeance. Despite your decisions, I am fond of you and would rather not see you throw your life away on that." Father Ro's hand rested on Fox's shoulder and he resisted the urge to throw it off.

"Will you at least tell me how you intend to bring about this change?" Fox sighed.

"Alas, I cannot. I hope you understand that I must maintain absolute discretion. A number of Prophets have gone missing, there is no doubt that you had no hand in it, but I must take all precautions. How is your coffee by the way?" Ro's flippant change of subject told Fox that any conversation regarding the plans of the Prophets of Renewal was done. He was more or less a prisoner.

Even when he went to the rooftop in hopes of getting reception, he did not recognize the skyline and the weather even in the summer was chilly. It was a good indicator to him that he was in one of the northern cities but of the seven of them, he could not be certain. He had already retired for the evening, so the Prophets would not be looking to disturb him in his room which left him to gaze up at the burgeoning stars.

Whichever city this was, they kept the night lighting to the barest minimum letting its citizens enjoy the full scope of the sky. The shadowy apparition appeared on the rooftop in an instant; rushing at him, it ran through him and vanished but not before a clatter drew attention to his feet.

Picking up the square case Fox pondered over it for a moment before deciding to head in for the evening. The laptop he had been given by Ro was surely being monitored but he had to know more. Mismagius was flitting about his shoulders curiously after depositing Fox unseen back into his room. Booted up the laptop took a moment as it was an older model but it still worked. In between his time in the library and exploring the building, Fox had been writing a fantasy novel encoding clues in a cipher for his operation to find regarding what he had seen should he ever find a way to get the information to them.

Opening the case revealed a disc and once loaded, it exposed far more than Fox was anticipating. He shut the laptop abruptly and turned towards mismagius. Pulling up the picture of Otter and her team, Fox showed it to the ghost Pokémon. She studied the picture intently as Fox's hand shook.

"Mismagius, I need you to take the laptop and the disc straight to this woman. Her name is Otter; find her immediately." Fox hoped the Pokémon had the foresight find Otter. Mismagius took one last determined look at the picture of Otter before picking up the laptop and drifting through the ceiling.

Careful to avoid the range of the cameras he made his way to the exit stairwell and descended. The last time he and mismagius had descended, it had appeared there was another level that extended away from the building. Fox needed to find out what dwelt below and he would discover tonight come hell or high water. Waking venusaur, he returned her to the pokeball and departed.

Slipping through the secret door he made his way towards where they had suspected the entrance would be and was rewarded for their cleverness. This required a key entry and by the sound of boot steps coming down the hall, a key would soon be provided. Fox wished he had a smaller Pokémon than venusaur as the close confines of the corridor meant that he would be on his own for overpowering the guard. The scuffle was quick thanks to Fox's element of surprise.

Taking the key, Fox dragged the guard into a closet. At least now with the key, Fox could escape the building. He had his phone on him, fully charged and ready to call in his operatives. The building itself was humming with energy in a stronger pitch than it had earlier. The smaller testing rooms had been empty though which lead Fox to believe whatever was going to happen, was happening now. The lights were flickering in a mad dervish and Fox's pace quickened.

He came out at the end of the hall in what appeared to be a large hangar with a strange machine in the center of it. There were massive containment globes, half the height of the tower he was currently trapped in. Hundreds upon thousands beyond counting; the ghost Pokémon imprisoned were from around the world and the globes were full to the point of many Pokémon forced against the glass.

A dusknoir despite the cramped quarters was pounding on the glass trying to break free. A thousand different voices were howling and it unnerved Fox. He looked about for something heavy to break the glass and saw a tool rack near a small fleet of diesel trucks. Grabbing the largest wrench he could find, he ran towards the nearest container to him; before he could even swing, a pulse of electricity knocked him back and Fox saw a guard with a raichu running for him.

The Pokémon in the imprisoning glass began writhing and boiling until they broke down to their essence; the dusknoir resisted with its bright red eye fixed upon the trainer that had run for him. Fox watched as the Pokémon exploded into its base core and the plasmic energy released from their deaths was pumped out of the prison jars.

Thick lines ran from each of the jars and they pulsed with the energy that coursed through them and into the strange infernal machine. A wordless scream erupted from his mouth; the guard ran up and swung his club across Fox's jaw, silencing him. The world swam before leaving him in darkness.

What felt like sometime later, he was brusquely awoken by a splash of water to the face. Ro was standing there with the security guard that had rendered him unconscious. Fox made certain his face was a blank mask revealing nothing. The two leaders locked eyes with each other, neither daring to break the stare. The guard's raichu delivered a low-level shock at the behest of his trainer that forced Fox to back down.

"Are you an operative of Team Rocket?" Ro's tone was neutral but his face betrayed him, showing the disappointment of a father.

"I have never been an operative of Team Rocket." Fox defiantly stated receiving a backhanded swing in response to his words.

"Who are you working for?" Ro's next question received only a blank stare from Fox. The man motioned for the guard's raichu and Fox braced himself for the next shock leaving his muscles in spasms.

"Who do you work for?" The question fell on deaf ears as Fox had begun counting in his head.

The questions and lack of response went back and forth for the better part of four hours by Fox's count but he refused to speak. He was focusing only on the numbers, always on the number trying to withdraw as far from the pain as possible.

A charmeleon had been brought out at some point and the tail flame was being used to sear Fox's finger tips. For another hour more he endured the flame passing over his body, the scorching fire threatening to loosen his tongue. They returned to beating him with their fists when that didn't work either; after eight hours of nothing they treated his wounds, dosed him with morphine and sent him to a small cold cell.

Fox slept for what felt like an eternity, when he awoke he reached for his pokeball out of habit to find it wasn't there. Disoriented from waking in a strange place, Fox took a moment to ascertain where he was. The pain hit him like a truck and almost as if they had been waiting for him to awake from his drug induced stupor.

Dragging him roughly back to the room he had been in the day prior, they began working him over again. Using arbok acid and cigarettes they continued working on him. He endured an egregious amount of torture that day but they brought in a chansey to use a healing pulse that essentially reset him for the Prophets of Renewal to continue the next day.

They continued on in this fashion for a week and a half before something slipped out of Fox's mouth.

"We will burn all that you worked for to the ground." Fox gasped out.

"Who is we?" Ro demanded but Fox had shut his mouth after realizing he had given away his thoughts aloud. "Leave him in the room with the pupae, they are set to hatch soon. We are too close to completion, send word to withdraw all Prophets to primary base."

"At once Father Ro, will that be all for you today?" The man that had been assisting with Fox's torture asked.

"Have they located the first package to come out of the portal?"

"Not yet sir, but we have secured the second package with the item stolen from Silph Co."

"Good, move along then." Ro dismissed the guard who was dragging the bloody trainer away. He returned to the hangar to watch the last of the ghost types loaded into their prisons and with a whispered apology flipped the switch personally.

Otter and The House of Valor were scrambling, they had decoded what they had found in the laboratory and were wrapping up their investigation in Aurora. Zeke had sent in his report via abra but when a mismagius found Otter while carrying a laptop it escalated Valor's plans. Many of the gym leaders not affiliated with the Prophets were remaining neutral choosing not to meddle in the affairs of "gangs of madmen" as Umir had mentioned to Otter in a conference call with several others including Kaydin of Pine Coast City. They were pulling in their agents from across the world and prepping for war.

Word had gotten out to the government of Merifos but they had issued a hands-off decree amongst the multiple homeland security agencies to only act in the event civilians somehow became involved.

Otter readied all the Pokémon under her command as Hank and Anelle did the same. They marched on Borealis the next day but were hijacking a news feed tonight to give fair warning to the citizens to evacuate. It would tip their hands to the Prophets of Renewal but it was the only way they could convince the government to allow them to handle this situation.

"I am sorry about the pain we put you through Fox, it was necessary for my cover. The House of Valor marches on Borealis tomorrow."

"I understand Ox; I've been in Borealis this whole time?" Fox spat a hunk of bloody phlegm on the floor.

"Sorry I haven't been able to contact you sooner but they have had me busy this whole time. I found out where your venusaur was being kept and replaced it with an empty pokeball. Those pupae they have me tossing you to, are tyranitar pupae, they wake up ravenous. I would help you more but I need to figure out how to shut down the jammer without getting caught."

"Good luck Ox, thank you. Is it the full strength of The House of Valor coming out tomorrow?"

"All operatives have been withdrawn from across the world via the abra platoons. Hang on, someone is coming up the hall." Ox gave Fox a kick in the back that sent him sprawling. "How dare you betray Father Ro when all he offered to you was safety and kindness?"

Fox groaned, after the other guard had walked past and out of sight Ox went back to treating him with respect. Ox had been found after the Prophets had beaten him and released his Pokémon into the wild.

Even though he was older than Fox, the kindness the younger man had shown him stuck with him. They were able to locate his raichu but the others had been domesticated too long and had grown too dependent on human assistance. They had fallen victim to the food chain.

"Hey, this isn't the way to the pupae chamber." Fox murmured.

"The chamber was moved, it's onboard that infernal machine now."

"What does that machine even do?"

"I have no idea other than it converts ghost type Pokémon into energy. Those screams, their pain, I will not forget either. Do you think my little misdreavus was with them?" Ox whispered out of respect for the fallen.

"From what I've learned over my skulking, I would say the likelihood is high on that." Fox walked through the hangar seeing Ro watch the breakdown of the Pokémon in the massive jars.

"Keep walking prisoner." Ox emphasized his façade with another kick. They all had their roles to play.

Fox was pushed and bullied into an elevator, across a catwalk and into the machine. Another guard was waiting outside the steel safety hatch that looked like it could withstand a nuclear detonation. A switch on the wall drew Fox's attention and he saw that it looked like an emergency release.

"I hope this helps you." Was the kind whisper Fox heard.

Palming an empty dusk ball from Ox, he was shoved roughly inside and the door was sealed shut. Looking around, Fox saw the pupae were rocking slowly; on the plus side, if he survived this he could wreak some havoc around the machine. Still not enough room for venusaur; the Prophets intended for this to be a blood bath when the tyranitar awoke. This was not going to go well for him in the slightest. With a worn-out sigh, Fox sat with his back to the wall, cradling venusaur's pokeball for comfort.

"There you have it folks, with that marking her eighth badge, we will see Europa-" Frank was cut off from the feedback to the station. All stations that were tuned in went through a series of static before the emblem of The House of Valor appeared on the televisions across the country.

Otter sat in her chair wearing a snug black hoodie and red cowl covering most of her face as she waited for the light to indicate the cameras were rolling and ready. Fox's ninetales sat on one side of her and her arcanine sat on her left with jolteon perched on the armrest. Precious was comfortable at her feet. She took a deep breath before the light on the camera finally indicated that Otter could speak.

"Good evening, people of Merifos and beyond; to the people of Borealis, I hope you pay close attention to this message. The House of Valor wishes to apologize for the interruptions of whichever program you were watching but these are matters of grave importance. Currently a man going by the title of Father Ro is leading a group of people known as The Prophets of Renewal. The goals they seek are simple to summarize but have long been in the making. They wish to reset the system; some of you may have noticed the absence of wild ghost Pokémon or trainers who have gone missing that had a ghost type in their party.

The theories of the ghost type Pokémon being connected to the Distortion World are correct, those Pokémon are made up of energies that originated directly in that realm. With the energy harnessed from thousands possibly even millions of ghost types, The Prophets intend to cleanse the earth and provide guidance for the next people; those that have somehow survived this, that is.

To the people of Borealis, we urge you to spend this time either evacuating or bunking down some place safe. Stay off the streets, do not go outdoors, and do not engage with anyone. Your own neighbors could be amongst The Prophets of Renewal, but rest assured we of The House of Valor shall light your path through these dark times.

To our brothers and sisters around the world, be safe, we will do all that we are capable of to end this. In the event we do not succeed, forgive us. We have had operatives working on unearthing this information that have put themselves at great risk, a risk that we have taken for the continual safety of those that will come after us. If this is the last time I speak with all of you, thank you for the honor of defending you. I and mine will blaze like the sun cresting the horizon, though we cannot guarantee the cost this will take on Borealis City. Once more we urge the citizens of Borealis to evacuate; may you be safe in what paths you choose.

One last message before we return you to your programs. Ro, we will tear down all that you have strived for. You brought us together in a common goal of vengeance; Hilda, Rabbit, the Pokémon you have stolen from us and all the ghost types but this ends now with us keeping the world safe from madmen like you. This is our declaration of war against the Prophets. Now tell me, House of Valor, what are we?" Otter concluded waiting for the response.

"IN THE DARKEST NIGHT, WE ARE THE FLAME!" Thousands of voices chorused.


End file.
